Re: Merkava ‘hunters’ relax, looking into nearby Israel
I call it little spanking by Hezbullah 
And just the begining..
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=commentary&alt=&trh=20060816&hn=35602
Hezbollah’s Anti-Merkava Missiles
by
Prof. Ali Al-Hail
The turning point in the war between Hezbollah and Israel since July 12th has certainly, been Hezbollah’s anti tank missiles. The supposedly, fourth generation of Israeli most advanced tank ‘Merkava’, has since Israel began its ground offensive on July 19th, been significantly, deactivated.
By using Russian-made Metis-M and European-made Milan anti-tank missiles by Hezbollah, according to reports more than 100 Merkava tanks had been destroyed, including killing or injuring their crews. The AP (AP, Saturday August 5), was reported to have circulated that, during two days only, Thursday August 3rd and Wednesday August 2nd , Hezbollah fighters had fired anti-tank missiles at three Merkava tanks. They were immediately pierced and 7 soldiers of its squads had been, killed.
According to the Israeli Army, quoted by the AP (August 5th) The Israeli-made Merkava tanks — mountains of steel that, are vaunted as symbols of Israel’s military might. Despite this reputation, Hezbollah’s anti-tank missiles, according to reliable sources destroy routinely, an average of two Merkava tanks, on a daily basis.
This advanced progress by Hezbollah’s fighters, has succeeded, on one hand in restricting Israel within a maximum of 5 miles horizontally, inside the Lebanese borders. While on the other, had hindered Israel to reach south of the Litani River (18 miles from Israeli Lebanese borders). Israel has since July 19th been marketing to its people that, its army has controlled Bint Jbail, a two mile village from the borders.
Today, August 10th, it’s still talking about fierce and ferocious fighting with Hezbollah’s fighters, at Dibil village on the suburb of Bint Jbail. This resistance has made possible because of Hezbollah’s well made use of its anti-tank missiles.
Speculations and rumors began to spread about that, Hezbollah has over the past two years, been modifying the Metis-M and Milan anti-tank missiles. Though, these theories and anecdotes aren’t groundless, knowing Hezbollah’s aspirations to improving its military skills, they have not been officially, confirmed by Hezbollah.
Field reports from the AP and Jane’s Defense Weekly suggest that, most of the estimated 120 Israeli soldiers, including the elite troops from the Golani brigade were killed in their Merkava tanks by Hezbollah’s sophisticated missiles. Hezbollah’s tactics in utilizing the Metis and Milan anti-tank missiles has answered the query as to why Israel had to delay its ground offensive.
As the first week of fierce daily and round the clock bombardment, proved to the Israeli government, how miscalculated they were, Israel had launched its ground offensive on July 19th.
Israel’s “disastrous errors” are domino effect of Israel’s information and intelligence total failure on the ground inside Lebanon, during its daily ferocious aerial bombing campaign, over the past 28 days, as Gardner angrily exclaimed, in an interview with the BBC TV on August 5th. Israel’s lack of accurate information and intelligence in its war with Hezbollah has caused huge losses on almost possibly, every front.
Israel has lost the propaganda war, in favor to Hezbollah. Simply, because it is in a fatal crisis from ethical point of view, before the international public opinion. The holocausts, massacres and crimes against humanity that Israel committed in Lebanon had shocked the entire world.
The question that arises here, has Israel achieved anything on the ground? Since its ground fighting with Hezbollah on July 19th, its horizontal incursions have been totally, catastrophic. Hezbollah’s Russian Miets and European Milan anti-tank missiles keep piercing Israel’s Mercavas.