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CNN:
Israel strikes Beirut airport, blocks ports — BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) — Israeli aircraft bombed Beirut International Airport on Thursday before blocking naval traffic in Lebanese waters as Israel expanded its military campaign against Hezbollah guerrillas who kidnapped two Israeli soldiers.
Discussion:
The Mahablog, Informed Comment, Flopping Aces, Confederate Yankee, Daimnation! and Old War Dogs
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Associated Press:
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.
Sam F. Ghattas / Associated Press:
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.
Jerusalem Post:
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.
Ynetnews:
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 …
Tom Raum / Associated Press:
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 …
Discussion:
PoliPundit.com
New York Times:
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 …
Ravi Nessman / Associated Press:
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.
Discussion:
Fox News, The Adventures of Chester, Austin Bay Blog, TigerHawk, Blue Star Chronicles, Assorted Babble and The Dumb Ox
Pajamas Media:
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 …
Lebanon.Profile / Lebanese Political Journal:
Hezbollah Surprised By Their Own Attack
Hezbollah Surprised By Their Own Attack
Discussion:
Kesher Talk
Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
Battle Looms In Congress Over Military Tribunals — House Republicans signaled a coming clash with the Senate over the future of military tribunals yesterday when Armed Service Committee members indicated they were inclined to give the Bush administration largely what it wants in the conduct of terrorism trials.
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Kate Zernike / New York Times:
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.
Lois Romano / Washington Post:
Beyond the Poll Numbers, Voter Doubts About Clinton — Anna Shelley, a mother of three from Utah, says she is ready for a female president, and she is sure that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has what it takes. — But Shelley, a Democrat, is not sure she could ever pull a lever for Clinton.
Amelia Gentleman / New York Times:
Mumbai Inquiry Focuses on Militants — NEW DELHI, July 12 — Senior police officials investigating Tuesday's murderous attacks on Mumbai's rail system said today that they were focusing on a Kashmiri militant group, Lashkar-e-Toiba, which has denied involvement in the attacks.
Discussion:
Rantingprofs, Blue Crab Boulevard, TAPPED, A Blog For All, varnam and The American Thinker
Patrick Hynes / Ankle Biting Pundits:
Web Video Too Low Even for DemoRATS — The Democrats' landslide must not be working out as planned, because the DCCC has just unleashed the most appalling wed video since MoveOn.org's "Bush is Hitler" ads. My guess is the backlash against this video will be so strong …
Discussion:
Althouse, Nitpicker, The RCP Blog, Captain's Quarters, Blogs for Bush and The Right Angle
Jon Tevlin / Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Couric's Twin Cities visit a well-oiled machine — The hugely popular media star held a closed-to-the-media "listening session," then attended a fundraiser for a local charity. — It was a well-orchestrated media event that excluded the media, a private invitation-only meeting in the brand …