Olmert: No restraints on IDF

From Ynet News, 7/8/06, by Avi Cohen ...

Stern warning: Defense minister vows to operate anywhere in Lebanon to minimize Hizbullah Katyusha rocket attacks on Israel should diplomatic efforts to end ongoing violence fail. Olmert: No restraints on IDF in stopping Katyusha fire

Defense Minister Amir Peretz warned Monday afternoon that he issued an "unequivocal order" to operate anywhere in Lebanon in order to curb rocket attacks on Israel should diplomatic efforts to end the fighting fail. "The IDF will operate anywhere in Lebanon and we'll take over Katyusha launch sites in order to minimize the fire," Peretz said at the opening of a Knesset Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee session at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Peretz noted that he toured the north Monday along with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and witnessed "amazing" motivation on the part of IDF troops. The defense minister said the sense among security forces is that the current campaign in Lebanon is one of the most important operations in Israel's history. "We're at one of the critical junctions of the war and we're no longer referring to it as a military operation," he said. "The most important decision before us is curbing the Katyusha fire."

"It could end in two ways – one is through a diplomatic process, something that will change the equation regarding everything taking place on the northern border," Peretz said. "The other way would be without taking into consideration the (diplomatic) process being formulated." ....