Introduction
Thirteen days before the deadline and under the deadly blows of the Islamic Resistance (IR) men, the “Israeli” allied militiamen finished, today, their retreat from Jezzine region. Yesterday, the “Israeli” government and “Israel’s” Army faced harsh criticism from the politicians and commentators in “Israel” who described the militia withdrawal from Jezzine as quote humiliating for it was not provided by protection.

Meanwhile, the “Israeli” collaborator sources admitted the death of two additional militiamen and the injury of a third in the IR operations which launched at the retreating militiamen forces from Jezzine area.

Militia evacuates Jezzine amid “Israeli” calls to speed up "humiliating" pullback…(1)
“The “Israeli” occupation's militia continued its withdrawal Wednesday from the Jezzine region amid “Israeli” calls to speed up the pullback following successful Islamic Resistance (IR) attacks”.

Two militiamen were killed by IR men Tuesday prompting “Israeli” prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ask his militia to complete its withdrawal this week -- rather than take two weeks as originally planned.

"The pullback operation is ongoing and the militia is considering a response to the “Israeli” calls for speeding it up," a source close to the militia said.

Security sources said dozens of militiamen's relatives had arrived in their personal vehicles on Wednesday in Marjeyoun, the main town in the occupied zone in southern Lebanon.

The militia was gathering its forces Wednesday in the town of Jezzine and surrounding villages having evacuated some 15 villages and hamlets on Tuesday in the Jezzine region, a strategic salient which juts north from the occupied zone.

Some 30 journalists were barred entry into Jezzine town by a militia checkpoint on Wednesday set up near a Statue of the Virgin at the entrance to the town.

Two militiamen were killed and a third seriously wounded by IR roadside bombs in Jezzine Tuesday while a Lebanese army conscript and two Syrian workers were injured in “Israeli” air and artillery aggressions.

Netanyahu, the outgoing “Israeli” premier, called a meeting of security advisors late Tuesday to discuss the militia withdrawal. “Israeli” officials said he urged the collaborators to complete their pullback in the next few days.

"“Israel”" also asked the United States to "use its influence with Syria" to persuade Hizbullah to "show more restraint," they said.

Meanwhile, Lebanese state television Tele-Liban on Wednesday quoted Jezzine Bishop Boulos Khawand as saying that 203 militiamen had decided to abandon the militia and turn themselves in to the Lebanese authorities.

Elsewhere, Netanyahu's government and the “Israeli” army came under fire Wednesday for failing to protect the withdrawal of their militia from Jezzine.

“Israeli” politicians and commentators blamed the enemy's government and military leaders for poor organization and the failure to foresee attacks Tuesday on the retreating militiamen by IR.

The experience, they said, bodes ill for a withdrawal of “Israeli” troops from the zone they have occupied in southern Lebanon for more than 20 years -- a pullback enemy prime minister-elect Ehud Barak has promised to carry out within a year.

"Anyone trying to imagine what a unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon looks like got the precise and humiliating picture yesterday from Jezzine of SLA troops retreating under attack," wrote Alex Fishman, a columnist for the Yedioth Ahronot, "“Israel’s”" most widely read newspaper.

The overall impression remained not of an orderly withdrawal but a full-fledged retreat under fire, Agence France Presse said about the Jezzine retreat.

Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, a former army chief of staff elected to parliament for the new Center Party, expressed astonishment at the army's failure to foresee the IR operations.

"It was obvious that Hizbullah was not going to miss the chance to go after the SLA*," he said.

"“Israel” will not tolerate a situation where the SLA takes losses" during the pullout, said Avigdor Kahalani, Netanyahu's internal security minister.

Other officials expressed concern over the likely impact Tuesday's fiasco will have on the morale of the 3,000 militiamen, already rattled by Barak's promises to pull “Israeli” occupation out of Lebanon.

"The army has given the impression that it had abandoned the SLA, which has been working with “Israel” for so many years," said Uzi Landau, the outgoing chairman of the parliamentary commission on foreign and defense affairs.

"What happened in Jezzine is starting to look like a defeat for “Israel”," he said on “Israeli” radio.

"This was not a failure by the SLA but by the “Israeli” army which did not provide the SLA with sufficient covering fire and a complete defensive umbrella,'' military analyst Ze'ev Schiff wrote in the newspaper Ha'aretz.

"The SLA...deserved to have the “Israeli” army doing everything in its power right from the start to ensure the retreat from Jezzine would be more dignified,'' he wrote.

Militiamen killed in IR's operations yesterday mount to 4…(2)
“Security sources said two collaborating militiamen were killed Tuesday in an Islamic Resistance's (IR) operation at the Ain Majdaleen intersection, where the Mujahedeen targeted a collaborating foot patrol.

Militia sources Wednesday admitted the death of two additional militiamen and the injury of a third in IR operations”.

On the other hand, “Israeli” warplanes at 12:30 Wednesday hovered over Beirut, breaking the sound barrier.

“Later, warplanes raided the Toumat Niha Hilltops. At 17:00, the warplanes staged more raids on the Kfar Houna Wadi, firing two air-to-ground missiles.

IR's squad of Martyr Hussein Ahmed Trabulsi at 15:50 ambushed a retreating collaborators' convoy on the road of Kfar Houna - Jezzine completely destroying three M-113 armored personnel carriers and a tank carrier and killing or injuring all the militiamen aboard.

“An “Israeli” tank, meanwhile, tried to back up the convoy, but IR's squad of Martyr Ahmed Rida pounded and destroyed the tank with the appropriate weapons. The tank was seen burning.

“In the meantime, IR's squad of Martyr Hussein Hassan Saleh, in the Artillery Reinforcement Unit, targeted the convoy's protection unit in the area, scoring hits.

“The collaborating militia admitted late Wednesday the destruction of four of its military vehicles in an IR operation.

“Agence France Presse reported that a Jeep and three other military personnel carrier were hit by anit-armor missiles launched by Hizbullah in Kfar Houna at 15:50 Wednesday.

“Elsewhere, a militiamen deserted from the occupied zone to the liberated areas.

Collaborator Pierre Tannous from the town of Qrayeh turned himself in to the Lebanese army checkpoint at the Kfar Falous crossing.

“Furthermore, reports from Jezzine said some militiamen who had decided to turn themselves in to the Lebanese authorities, refused to give military vehicles and equipment to their retreating colleagues before they get their compensation payments from the militia command.

“Families of the killed militiamen also demanded compensations, but top collaborator agent Antoine Lahd refused to pay any compensations before the pullout is completed”.

Sayyed Nasrallah receives Phalange delegation…(3)
“Hizbullah Secretary General his Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah today (yesterday) received a delegation form the Phalange party headed by the party's president, Munir al-Hajj.

“Talks focused on the general situation, especially the Islamic Resistance's achievement of defeating the occupation and its collaborators and forcing them to retreat from Jezzine.

“We did not need to be reassured regarding the Jezzine withdrawal, for we know the excellent behavior code adopted by Hizbullah in resisting the occupation, al-Hajj said following the meeting.

“The Phalange party chief quoted Sayyed Nasrallah as being eager to achieve another victory, along with he Jezzine withdrawal, that is the victory of enhancing national unity and leaving the “Israeli” enemy without any pretexts.

“Withdrawal from Jezzine is a primary step that will be followed by other steps, thanks to the Resistance”, al-Hajj added.

MORE THAN 200 MILITIAMEN EXPRESS READINESS TO FACE LEBANESE JUDICIARY…(4)
“Father Boulos Khawand, the most senior cleric at the Mashmousheh Monastery in Jezzine, today (yesterday) unveiled that 203 militiamen asked him to issue a statement on their behalf, saying they quote put themselves at the disposal of the Lebanese judiciary. The “Israeli” government and “Israel’s” military faced harsh criticism from politicians and commentators in “Israel” who described the militia withdrawal from Jezzine as quote humiliating”.

“ Two hundred and three “Israeli” allied militiamen today (yesterday) announced they are ready to face judicial proceedings in Lebanon for collaborating with “Israel”, and helping occupation troops in their war against the country. They said they have abandoned the militia. The “Israeli” allied militia chief Antoine Lahd, who is reportedly scrambling to resign from the militia command, has already been sentenced to death in absentia by a military court in Beirut. “Israeli” occupation troops had put the number of militiamen from the Jezzine enclave at only 170, meaning some from other areas of the occupied zone are in Jezzine trying to defect to the Lebanese authorities. Father Paul Khawand had also said that the “Israeli” allied militia agreed to pay more than one million dollars to the families of dead militiamen and defectors. The compensation deal appeared to be an attempt by the militia to smoothen the pullout from Jezzine. The militia force comprises some 3,000 fighters. They are trained, financed, and controlled by “Israel”.

President sees positive aspects of the withdrawal from enclave…(5)
“President Emile Lahoud said Wednesday that the liberation of Jezzine not only strengthened the resistance but restored the state’s authority in the area, as a guarantee for security”.

“Lahoud was quoted by Chouf MP Zaher Khatib, who said the president reiterated his refusal of any arrangements or guarantees outside the framework of a comprehensive peace agreement.

For his part, Speaker Nabih Berri said that the South Lebanon Army’s withdrawal from Jezzine was an “Israeli” decision aimed at separating the Lebanese-Syrian tracks.

“However, as a result of positions taken by officials, political parties and the people, there was now even further unity between the two tracks,” he said.

Berri called on collaborators to submit themselves to the judiciary, which would take the proper steps.

Jezzine MP Samir Azar said that if area residents had any fears, they should be of the occupation and not of the liberation.

“Former Jezzine MP Pierre Pharaon said he hoped the liberation of Jezzine would be the first step toward the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 425”.

“Calling on the government to tend to the needs of the area, which had been under SLA occupation for 14 years, Pharaon said the government had been successful in preventing any attempts to sow division”.

ARAB LEAGUE DESCRIBES JEZZINE PULLOUT AS “ISRAELI” "MANEUVER"…(6)
“The Arab League has dismissed the pullout of “Israel’s” proxy militia from Jezzine as a "maneuver" and demanded a full “Israeli” withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The League accused “Israel” of seeking to quote place obstacles between Lebanon and Syria. Arab League officials also warned that “Israel” is withdrawing occupation troops from Jezzine to avoid a complete pullout from the south”.

“Israeli” Aggressions…(7)
The IR issued a statement in which it mentioned the following “Israeli” aggressions on Lebanon’s towns and villages:
6:20, three 155mm missiles struck west of Yater village.
Between 12:20 and 16:30, the 1700th Hill was bombarded by thirteen 155mm missiles.
15:10, the surroundings of Baraasheit town exposed to 12.7mm heavy machine gun fire.
16:20, five 155mm missiles were fired at the perimeters of Jibaa town.
16:35, ten 155mm missiles slammed into the hilltops of Maidoun.
16:55, the “Israeli” warplanes dropped four air-to-ground rockets into the deserted Toumat Niha position.
17:10, the “Israeli” fighter-bombers raided into area called Shayar Baton near Jezzine.
17:35, the “Israeli” jets dropped several air-to-surface rockets into the hilltops of Maidoun sparking a blaze.

Fight your own battles…(8)
"So the "Israeli" government likes to think that having its lapdog militia leave Jezzine with its tail between its legs constitutes a “test” of an eventual "Israeli" pullout from the entire occupation zone. This scales new heights on Mount Arrogance, a peak with which the "Israelis" are so familiar that they should seriously consider annexing it".
"The inference, of course, is that "Israel" will attempt to portray continued resistance attacks on occupation forces after the evacuation of Jezzine as a portent of what would follow a general withdrawal. The scenario would then be used to buttress the "Israeli" demand for security guarantees ahead of any such pullback".
"But the entire “test-case” argument rests on a foundation of insolence and contradiction, for the one has nothing to do with the other: The occupation zone is Lebanese soil, not "Israeli", and so long as "Israeli" troops and their proxies remain there, they should expect no quarter. As for what would follow a full-fledged withdrawal, the occupiers will have to wait for answers until they return to their own side of the border".
"The Jewish state is using the ever-present threat posed by its strategic military superiority in a cynical effort to cow Beirut and Damascus into ending the activities of the resistance, whose tactical superiority seems to increase with each passing day".
"Specifically, the "Israelis" have found no way to deal effectively with Hizbullah.
Their intelligence on Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s group is increasingly murky and their willingness to come out of their bunkers and face the guerrillas on the ground is evaporating".
"Even the high-tech warplanes supplied to them by Washington are of little use these days beyond the infliction of new tragedies on civilians, the impotent destruction of rocks and shrubs in Iqleem al-Toffah, and the rattling of windows in Beirut".
"The "Israelis" are therefore trying to go around what they have consistently failed to go through. Faced with such an effective and implacable foe, "Israel" ­ and the United States ­ would like nothing better than to have others neutralize Hizbullah. That desire is understandable, but given what the "Israelis" have done to this country for over two decades, any expectation that Beirut will be in a hurry to end "Israeli" suffering is wishful thinking".
"But ludicrous demands that others must make concessions to preserve "Israeli" “security” are nothing new. Accordingly, it is incumbent on all Arab countries ­ including and perhaps especially those who have already made peace with "Israel" ­ to join their voices to Lebanon’s and make it unmistakably clear that the ball remains very much in the "Israeli" court".