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Tue, aug 03, 2010 | Mere Rhetoric | Beer7

Israeli soldiers stand next to military vehicles near the site of an exchange of fire between Israeli and Lebanese troops along the border between Israel and Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. Israeli soldiers came under fire Tuesday during a routine patrol along the Lebanese border, the army said, sparking the most intense clashes with forces inside Lebanon since a fierce war four years ago. (AP Photo/Hamad Almakt)

Another example of Reuters’ Biased anti-Israel Propaganda without knowing the facts

Here’s what happened this morning along the so-called Blue Line, the internationally recognized UN-codified border between Israel and Lebanon. Israeli soldiers were trimming trees and clearing brush as they routinely do, because that kind of natural cover has been used by Iranian-backed Hezbollah soldiers to kidnap Israelis and start wars. Behind them there was a group of commanders who were supervising the operation, because Israeli protocol calls for troops working near the border to be supervised from afar – again, in case Iranian-backed Hezbollah soldiers try to kidnap Israelis and start wars. Israel’s physical border fence is very specifically built several meters on the Israeli side of the border inside the Jewish State’s territory, so that the Israelis can safely trim trees and clear brush, because – you know.

At some point soldiers dressed in Lebanese Armed Forces uniforms launched an ambush, with snipers trying to kill the supervising commanders in the distance. The Israelis promptly retaliated, wounding several of the LAF-uniformed soldiers. Then the Israelis – after receiving an explicit request from the other side of the border – suspended their fire so that the wounded could be evacuated. The Lebanese used the momentary humanitarian gesture to again open fire on the Israeli troops – this time it was an RPG at an Israeli tank – and the Israelis again retaliated. Israel is reporting one IDF soldier killed, one wounded.

Reuters immediately published a seemingly conclusive photo and caption insisting the exact opposite and trying to blame the violence on Israel. Strange how their mistakes always coincide with anti-Israel propaganda.

Here’s the Reuters photo and caption:

But as we all can see, the IDF soldier on the crane’s platform in the air is still over Israeli territory, and the crane itself and the officers who supervise the work stood also clearly on Israeli territory. However, the Lebanese sniper, who started the fire fight, targeted brigade commander Dov Harari (who was supervising) and shot him from ambush.

This border incident began with the ambush shooting of a senior officer from the IDF, although international media is trying to present this differently.

And what makes it even more disturbing is that we clearly see on the pictures that UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) see no problem in it to act together with trigger happy Lebanese soldiers. Instead of stopping the Lebanese (hizballah) oriented aggression against IDF soldiers, they work in cooperation with Lebanese soldiers to stop the IDF soldiers from defending themselves.

Lebanese soldiers take up position as U.N peacekeepers (in blue berets) gesture towards Israeli soldiers at the Lebanese-Israeli border in Adaisseh village, southern Lebanon August 3, 2010. An Israeli helicopter on Tuesday fired two missiles at a Lebanese army post near the southern border village of Adaisseh, destroying an armoured personnel carrier, a security source said. A Lebanese journalist and three Lebanese soldiers died after the Israeli and Lebanese armies exchanged fire in the border area, a security source said.… (REUTERS/STR)

Lebanese soldiers and U.N. peacekeepers (L and 3rd L) stand at the Lebanese-Israeli border in Adaisseh village, southern Lebanon August 3, 2010. (REUTERS/STR)

A UNIFIL peacekeeper, right, waves as a Lebanese soldier, center, carries an RPG in front of Israeli troops patrolling the border fence in the southern border village of Adaisseh, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010. (AP Photo/Ronith Daher)

It’s clear that for Reuters “Israeli aggression” can only form the context of the border incident. Reuters is not interested in the shooting of a senior IDF officer, but is using the Israeli military actions and the Lebanese victims as anti-Israel propaganda. Read also the Reuters caption below.

Civilians help a wounded Lebanese soldier at Adaisseh village, southern Lebanon August 3, 2010. An Israeli helicopter on Tuesday fired two missiles at a Lebanese army post near the southern border village of Adaisseh, destroying an armoured personnel carrier, a security source said. A Lebanese journalist and three Lebanese soldiers died after the Israeli and Lebanese armies exchanged fire in the border area, a security source said. (REUTERS/Kamel Jaber)

And why were there Hizballah reporters and cameras on the Lebanese side of the event. Are we to assume they just happened to be passing by?