The backtracking of the Lebanese to save face for what was a premediated, unprovoked attack continues.
They have abandoned the lies of Israel crossing the Blue Line, of them only shooting "warning shots," and others. The latest statement from Lebanese General Jean Kahwaji shows yet again how they cannot keep their story straight:
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) commander General Jean Kahwaji on Wednesday said that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops entered on Tuesday a disputed area along the Blue Line, despite objections from the Lebanese army and UNIFIL, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.So the trees that were supposedly in Lebanese territory on Tuesday were allowed to be cut down by Israel on Wednesday? Plus he claims that UNIFIL was objecting to the tree cutting even though it had all been coordinated with them?
Lebanese and Israeli soldiers exchanges fire Tuesday at the border village of Adaisseh in the fiercest clashes since the 2006 July War. The clash resulted in the killing of two Lebanese soldiers, a journalist and a senior Israeli officer.
The clashes started after Israeli units attempted to cut down contested trees along the border, which the UN said Wednesday were within Israeli territory.
Kahwaji said the Israeli decision was a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adding that “the army agreed to cutting down the trees today after necessary conditions were met.”
UNIFIL units supervised on Wednesday morning the removal of trees along the southern border in coordination with the Lebanese army.
The IDF did say that UNIFIL asked them to delay the cutting, twice, for unspecified reasons, and the IDF complied.
The only part of the IDF story that I believe might be slightly inaccurate is the map they handed out:
Looking at the famous picture of the cherry-picker, we see a curve in the road just north of the famous tree:
At the point where the road curves, the Blue Line is somewhat closer to the road (Google Maps yellow line only approximates the Blue Line; you can see what is apparently the real Blue Line right above it):
There is still no doubt that the IDF was within its side of the Blue Line, but the Lebanese were much closer - which may account for the accuracy of the sniper gunshot that hit the IDF officer in the head.