Israel To Cease Pullout If Hizbollah Not Disarmed

Lebanese Ceasefire Plan in Jeopardy
The U.N. ceasefire plan is falling apart, leaving the possibility Hizbullah will re-arm itself while Israel's hands are tied by international pressure.

Israel to halt pullout unless Lebanon army deploys
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israeli forces in southern Lebanon were preparing to hand over some of their positions to U.N. peacekeepers and withdraw more troops on Wednesday as a truce with...

UN says 2,000 peacekeepers could come soon -- if there is "political will"
The U.N. says the 2,000 peacekeepers in southern Lebanon can start overseeing the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the deployment of the Lebanese army very quickly if all parties agree. But the U.N. hopes 3,500 well-equipped international troops can reinforce the U.N. contingent within 10 days to two weeks to help consolidate the fragile cessation of hostilities. 

Hizbollah says disarmament not an option
Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, the group's top official in the south, reiterated Hizbollah's right to fight Israeli troops remaining in Lebanon before the deployment of the Lebanese army and U.N....

DEBKAfile: Lebanese PM Siniora is in no position to guarantee the disarming of Hizballah as stipulated by France and other donors of Lebanon peacekeepers
Siniora’s own military deployment south of the Litani due to start Thursday, Aug. 17, is subject to a deal with Hizballah for their juxtaposition in the south and along the borders with Syria. Most of the governments which offered troops, led by France, refuse to send them as long as an armed Hizballah is present. But that is not in the Lebanese prime minister’s power to promise as the French, Turkish and Malaysian foreign ministers discovered when they visited Beirut Wednesday. Australia has also backed out, leaving only Indonesia and Morocco.

France calls on Israel to end Lebanon blockade
The French foreign minister on Wednesday called for Israel to lift is air, naval and land blockade of Lebanon, saying it was unnecessary with the UN cease-fire plan holding.

"The blockade imposed on the airport and Lebanese ports should be lifted. We ask Israeli authorities to lift the land and sea siege on Lebanon. And we ask the Lebanese government to strengthen monitoring" of points of entry to insure Hizbullah weapons are banned, said Philippe Douste-Blazy.

Terror leader says Palestinian groups smell victory after Lebanon war, primed to attack
JERUSALEM – Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon was a "failure" and demonstrated to Palestinian groups the Jewish state is weak and can ultimately be defeated, a senior terror leader here told WorldNetDaily in an interview.

The leader, Abu Oudai, chief rocket coordinator for the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the West Bank, said Hezbollah's "tremendous victory" has emboldened his group and other Palestinian terror organizations to immediately coordinate violence against Israel and to focus their "resistance" on rocket attacks.

Neturei Karta rabbi to Iran newspaper: Israel will cease to exist - Rabbi David Weiss says: Israel was established in the name of Judaism but is impure and Godless
In an interview with official Iranian news agency IRNA, Rabbi David Weiss, of the Neturei Karta movement, said "Israel was established in the name of Judaism but is impure and Godless. We are sure that it will cease to exist."

Neturei Karta is a small group of Ultra-Orthodox Jews who reject all forms of Zionism and oppose the existence of that state of Israel. This stems from their belief that Israel can only truly be reestablished with the coming of the Messiah and, subsequently, that any state of Israel prior to this exists in violation of divine will.

DEBKAfile: Nasrallah is transferring his entire fighting force from northern Lebanon to the South
The rockets and guns were silent up to Wednesday, Day 3 of the ceasefire – although Tuesday, Israeli troops shot at 5 Hizballah fighters in two separate incidents, killing at least three. However, the Hizballah are moving back into their still undamaged bunkers and fortified civilian dwellings opposite the Israeli border.

Senior General Staff officer: IDF may be forced to stay in Lebanon for months
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said Wednesday that the IDF would halt its withdrawal from southern Lebanon if the Lebanese army did not deploy in the area within days.

"The withdrawal of the IDF within 10 days is dependent upon the deployment of the Lebanese army," Halutz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Commitee, according to a spokesman.

Hamas: Haniyeh, Abbas agree to form joint gov't
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and PA President Mahmoud Abbas agreed Wednesday to form a national unity government, a government spokesman said.

Iran says won't back down over atomic rights
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday Iran would not yield to Western pressure to give up its home-grown nuclear technology.

U.S. braces for waves of sky terror suspects - Predicts 1,000s will get past no-fly-list airport screening
The Department of Homeland Security is bracing for waves of terror suspects numbering in the tens of thousands boarding planes bound for the U.S. from foreign airports like Heathrow over at least the next 10 years, according to internal agency documents reviewed by WorldNetDaily.

And more shockingly, DHS admits it won't be able to intercept them all. Thousands each year will get past no-fly-list screening checks – even under proposed new rules to improve procedures to vet high-risk passengers.

Record immigration to Israel in spite of crisis...
Over 4,000 new immigrants from all over the world will have arrived in Israel from the beginning of July until the end of August

Bush Sees No End to War on Terrorism
President Bush said Tuesday that the foiled plot to blow up flights between Britain and the United States is evidence the U.S. could be fighting terrorists for years to come.

Peace in Lebanon requires Israeli-Palestinian peace: Finland
A lasting peace in Lebanon can only be attained once the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, whose country holds the European Union presidency, said on Wednesday.

Comments
Earlier today, Israel said they would break the ceasefire if Lebanese troops do not take up positions in southern Lebanon and keep Hizbollah out.  Now, they have gone a step further and said if Lebanon does not disarm Hizbollah then they will.  

The UN cease-fire resolution clearly states that the area south of the Litani river must be demilitarized.

The decision appeared to contradict a statement made by senior senior Hizbullah official Hassan Fadlallah, who stated on Wednesday that the issue of his organization's disarmament was not on the agenda.

According to Fadlallah, who spoke with al-Jazeera, Hizbullah will not evacuate its operatives from southern Lebanon since they are the ones who populate the region. "Any such withdrawal means the evacuation of southern Lebanon," he said.

An official in the Prime Minister's Office warned on Tuesday that the IDF would have to resume operations in Lebanon if Hizbullah is not disarmed.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah reportedly reached a deal allowing Hizbullah to keep its weapons but refrain from exhibiting them in public. Israeli officials called the arrangement a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which passed over the weekend and was approved on Sunday by the cabinet.

"The resolution is clear that Hizbullah needs to be removed from the border area, embargoed and dismantled," the official said. "If the resolution is not implemented, we will have to take action to prevent the rearming of Hizbullah. I don't think backtracking will serve any useful purpose. There has to be pressure on Hizbullah to disarm or there will have to be another round."

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is expected to raise the issue when she meets in New York on Wednesday with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Annan angered Israeli officials when he told Channel 2 on Tuesday that "dismantling Hizbullah is not the direct mandate of the UN," which could only help Lebanon disarm the organization. Annan upset officials further when he said that deploying international forces in Lebanon would take "weeks or months," and not days as expected.

Israeli officials said the IDF would not complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon until the international force was deployed - even if it took months - to prevent a vacuum in Lebanon that could endanger Israeli civilians. An official in the Prime Minister's Office accused Annan of having an anti-Israel agenda.  http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525882124&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/Printer

I don't blame Israel for calling on the U.N. to disarm Hizbollah.  This is typical of the U.N. to agree to a resolution and not enforce it, especially when it comes to Israel.  I definitely see this war re-igniting if Hizbollah is allowed to keep their weapons and go back to southern Lebanon.  It's only a matter of time before it all blows a part.  

Those sending international peacekeepers are calling on Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora to disarm Hizbollah before they get there, but he's in no position to be giving Hizbollah orders...let's face it, they own him.  I really don't see this situation solved nor do I see Israel turning over hard fought land to a weak and pathetic Lebanese/international force.  There are even reports that say Hizbollah leader Nasrallah is transferring his entire fighting force from northern Lebanon to the South to retake positions lost.  If that happens look for the wrath of Israel to come.

But the Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja seems to believe that an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement is key to bringing peace to Lebanon.  

We all know that the (UN) resolution (on a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah) is only a beginning. If the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians is not relaunched, we will not see any lasting stability in Lebanon," Tuomioja told Finnish daily Vasabladet.

"The Europeans understand this. One can however ask oneself whether the United States share this opinion. There is a tendency over there to consider the situation (in Lebanon) as another element in their war on terror," he said.  http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/060816085706.12vwsskd

I have to agree since I believe the Bible supports a day coming that the antichrist will propose a plan that will bring peace to many (Daniel 9:27).  Does that mean the tribulation period is near?  Anything can happen, but as you know, I'm looking for the rapture of the church to come first...and it could take place at any moment.

I find it amazing that with all the turmoil in Israel that immigration is at an all-time high.  In the last two months over 4,000 new immigrants have come from all over the world to call Israel home.  This shouldn't be a shock to any Christian.  For the Bible predicted long ago that in the last days God would bring the children of Israel back to their promised land from the four corners of the earth.   "Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 43:5 & 6).  Even in the midst of uncertainty and constant hostilities God is bringing His people home just as He promised.

The Bible says that in the last days there will be perilous times (II Timothy 3:1).  This prophecy picked up a new head of steam today.  As you know, yesterday, U.S. Homeland Security announced to the terrorists of the world that the airport x-ray machines they are using to screen baggage for bombs and weapons didn't really work.  Today they predicted that over the next decade tens of thousands of terrorists would try to board foreign planes bound for U.S. cities in an attempt to do harm to Americans.  And on top of that, they admit they have no way of stopping them all.

"Even under the best circumstances, not every individual will be intercepted prior to boarding," says the April 2006 DHS report titled, "Passenger Manifests for Commercial Aircraft Arriving in and Departing from the United States." http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51539

I look for some dark days ahead for Homeland Security.

Guess who's making up and have decided to work together...Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and PA President Mahmoud Abbas.  Before this war broke out they were on the verge of a bloody power struggle.  But apparently, they have decided to put their differences aside, join forces and concentrate on destroying Israel...of course, in the name of peace.  To me, this is just another step toward the peace that must come.  The way I see it, God is starting to align all the players in a row.

As we look around at all the signs coming to past in these last days we must come to the conclusion that they didn't occur by accident.  But if that were possible, can you imagine the odds of all these things happening in these last days.  It would simply be staggering!

Are you ready to meet the Lord?  If not, your time is running out!

Want to know more about becoming a Christian click here.

Pastor Malone

This just in: Lebanese Cabinet agrees to deploy troops (AP)