Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 3, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba A8 Mideast in crisis Winnipeg free press thursday August 3, 2006 Hezbollah rockets Pound Israel israelis buoyed by daring raid on militants stronghold by Matthew Fisher and Steven Edwards b Baalbek Lebanon ? Israel continued to push combat troops far ther into Southern Lebanon and renewed air strikes on a Beirut suburb Early today As Hezbollah responded to an audacious overnight israeli com Mando raid deep inside the country by firing More rockets than Ever before into Israel. Three explosions were reported in the Southern Beirut suburb of Zahieh the bbl reported. The area Home to mainly shia muslims had been bombed previously in the Campaign by Israel. Yesterday Hezbollah fired 215 Rock ets into Israel ? some of which set records by trav Elling 70 kilo me i think one of tres into the country. This the alternatives fact brought into that a being Sharp focus the considered is question of whether he Bol two different Lah had the Capa kinds of forces ability to strike Israel a largest in two different City Tel Aviv. Kinds of one of the periods rockets killed an israeli Riding a ? . Ambassador bicycle on a Kib to the in John Butz near the Bolton Border. Explosions caused by other missiles started several Large grass fires in Border areas and in Galilee. The barrage of rockets belied israeli claims tuesday and again yesterday morning that its forces had succeeded to a Large degree in prime minister Ehud Olmert swords in destroying Hezbollah a ability to fire missiles. Elsewhere the makings of an agree ment Between the major Powers Over the crisis in Lebanon began to emerge yesterday even As Israel said there could be no ceasefire unless a robust International peacekeeping Force was ready to deploy to Southern Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from re occupying the area. . Officials in Washington and at the United nations said differences Between the United states and France had Nar rowed significantly As diplomats began to talk about the possibility of beefing up the mandate of in peacekeepers already in the area until a much stronger Force could be put together. France is expected to Lead the stronger Force but earlier it said it would stay away from a troop contributing con Ference the in had scheduled today for some 40 countries that could also deploy soldiers. While the French Boycott led the in to postpone the conference which Canada was also to attend it May have also spurred the United states to shift towards Frances Call for a ceasefire even before a Long term political settlement is in place. In new York . Ambassador to the in John Bolton elaborated on ideas for a two phase deployment of peacekeepers. I think one of the alternatives that a being considered is two different kinds of forces in two different kinds of Peri ods he said. Because the situation at the outset. Could Well be substantially different from. The longer France opposes tasking a peacekeeping Force with disarming Hezbollah believing such a goal is unachievable Given the israeli army failed to do so during its 1982-2000 occupation of South Ern Lebanon and is still Short of doing so in the current offensive. But Washington now appears ready to accept the survival of Hezbollah if the group which the United states lists As a terrorist organization Abandons its military Wing and fully transforms into a political party. Despite the continuing Hezbollah rocket attacks which have forced one million israelis to flee their Homes in Northern Israel or Hunker Down in bomb shelters National spirits were buoyed by the successful commando raid on Baal Bek which sounded As if it might have been inspired by a Hollywood War film. Spent Shell casings with writing in hebrew were strewn yesterday around the scene of the dramatic attack on Baal Beks Dar Al Hekman Hospital which is supported by an iranian foundation that generates the late Ayatollah Khomeini and is 100 Kilometres from Israel and Only 10 Kilometres from Syria. As Well As taking five prisoners Israel said 10 Hezbollah died in the fierce Bat the on the Northwestern outskirts of Baal Bek which has Long been known As one of the party of gods ? Hezbollah ? strongest bastions. ? can West news service ;