Israeli warplanes attack Beirut airport  —  BEIRUT, Lebanon - Israel intensified its attacks against Lebanon on Thursday, blasting Beirut's international airport and the southern part of the country in its heaviest air campaign against its neighbor in 24 years.  Nearly three dozen civilians were killed, officials said.

Hamas Leader Badly Hurt in Israeli Bombing  —  A Hamas militant leader who has topped Israel's most-wanted list for a decade was badly wounded and underwent four hours of spinal surgery Wednesday after being wounded in an Israeli airstrike, security officials said.

Hizbullah: Bomb Beirut, we'll hit Haifa  —  Hizbullah warned Israel Thursday afternoon that if the IDF attacked southern Beirut, where the organization's leadership is based, they would target Haifa.  —  "The Islamic resistance warns against targeting civilians and the infrastructure," a statement read on Hezbollah TV said.

Al-Aqsa leader: West Bank rocket war is on  —  Terror leader announces start of missile barrage nearing Israel's main population centers  —  While Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip have been contending with almost daily missile attacks, Palestinian rockets will now be launched regularly …

Bush Backs Israel's Right to Self Defense  —  STRALSUND, Germany (AP) - President Bush said Thursday that Israel has the right to defend itself, as it launched fresh attacks on Lebanon after the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers.  —  Bush laid the blame for the escalation of violence along …

Israel's Two-Front Battle  —  Kidnapping Israeli soldiers to use as bargaining chips for the release of Arab prisoners is horrible behavior for groups that claim international recognition and political legitimacy, as Hamas and Hezbollah do.  The same applies to lobbing rockets over Israel's borders …

Israel Hits Lebanon After Troops Snatched  —  Israel bombed and shelled southern Lebanon and sent ground troops over the border for the first time in six years Wednesday after Hezbollah guerrillas captured two Israeli soldiers.  The fighting killed eight Israeli soldiers and three Lebanese.

Widening Into War?:  The Israeli Response in Lebanon and Gaza  —  July 12, 2006 19:11 PDT An unconfirmed Debka File report asserts that "Iran's national security adviser Ali Larijani flies to Damascus aboad special military plane Wednesday night as war tension builds.... Iranian air force …

Administration Prods Congress to Curb the Rights of Detainees  —  WASHINGTON, July 12 — A day after saying that terror suspects had a right to protections under the Geneva Conventions, the Bush administration said Wednesday that it wanted Congress to pass legislation that would limit the rights granted to detainees.