The Invasion Has Begun

Since my posts have gone way long recently (and cause I got to get to the gym in a bit) I'll keep this short.

Olmert gives Greenlight to start the offensive

Senior Israel Defense Forces officers said Friday evening that despite the latest progress on the diplomatic front at the United Nations, the IDF "is continuing forward at full power."The officers said that all forces slated to take part in the expanded incursion have already assumed forward positions in the field. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz on Friday ordered the IDF to implement an expanded ground operation in Lebanon.

And this is interesting.

Lebanon: IDF captured 350 Lebanese soldiers Lebanon claims IDF troops have captured around 350 Lebanese soldiers and security personnel in a military base in Marjayoun. It appears that there are also Lebanese civilians taking shelter in the base. The Lebanese interior minister told Arab reporters on Thursday that IDF troops had come to the base, asked to enter it, and then apprehended all of those present. The Al-Jazeera network reported that the IDF separated the soldiers from the officers and disarmed them.

It 'took' the town of Marjayoun yesterday (my previous post has a link to that). It was described as Hezbollah free, but I've seen TV reports that the IDF is still fighting Hezbollah fighters for Marjayoun. I'm confused if that means that they (IDF) , as in the case of Bint Jbeil, say they have taken a town when no such thing has happened. Bint Jbeil is still in Hezbollah hands.

(UPDATE: the report of fighting in Marjayoun is characterized as 'very little resistance')

Or did the IDF take the town and Hezbollah decided to attack the IDF in afterwards? Whatever.

Anyways, the plan is to reach the Litani as fast as possible and work backwards (and hopefully cutting off reinforcements). They are going to use helicopters to airlift infantry to the river (is that at risk by anti-air missiles?) but I assume the Armor columns still have to get there by land. They want to give a large blow, and then declare 'victory' it seems and then accept the diplomatic solution.

Or they will be idiots and try to disarm and destroy Hezbollah which will bog them down in Lebanon like they were once before. (their choice)

That's it for now. I'll update if anything important pops ups.