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Kommersant Reporter Lays Road into Lebanon
At the yesterday’s get-together of Israeli security cabinet, enforcement ministers and chiefs of special services resolved to intensify the military campaign in southern Lebanon to dislodge strongholds of Hezbollah there. Together with advancing troops of Israel, Kommersant journalist, Grigory Asmolov, marched into the conflict area in Lebanon, first of all reporters of Russia.
Asmolov started his trip into Lebanon in the back seat of Merkava-2 tank of the engineer combat battalion, which mission was to lay a safe road that will be used afterwards to deliver foods to soldiers fighting Hezbollah deep in that country.
The battalion was ordered to follow the designated route, marching in company of a few big tractors and tanks and ensure that the path is free from explosion devices or roadblocks of Hezbollah.
Hezbollah is armed with Russia’s RPG-29 rocket launchers, has other advanced armaments and is generally well-equipped. So, a tank is a sort of a live target in Lebanon now.
Merkava-2 wasn’t quick that day and the crew cursed the tractor that was creeping ahead at a snail's pace. Another hurdle for the stormy advance was the stony surface of the route. The dawn was about to break, making the crew even more agitated. Dawn is the most dangerous time for the tankers.
Suddenly, Merkava-2 was ordered to get ready for machine-gun fire. There was a game-reserve on the right, where Hezbollah guerillas could be staying. “Game-reserves of southern Lebanon turned into the conservation for militants,” the tankers explained. To secure the safe passage of column, it was decided to bring down massed intense fire targeted at the game-reserve. The fire stopped in ten minutes.
“Get out,” the tank commander told Asmolov. “We have caught up the infantry.” The journalist opened the hatch and crawled outside.
The Russian marched for an hour together with the Israeli soldiers, heading for a stone quarry, which could shelter the battalion for a few hours. The tanks were the first to enter the quarry, the soldiers followed. As soon as the safe place was reached, the soldiers drew out a gas stove and set to making coffee. A great silence settled in a few minutes, as they fell asleep in no time.
The mission of the battalion wasn’t easy – laying a route via the outlet of the dried-up river. Higher chiefs urged to do it as fast as possible but the battalion commander called for delay and was ultimately authorized to hide in the quarry till the sunset.
Most of the reservists have never served in Lebanon but were in the Gaza Strip. There, the atmosphere was familiar, almost friendly, but it is different in Lebanon, the military complained, specifying that the shelling is continuous here.
Closer to the evening, the battalion focused on preparing for the next stage of the road laying. The commander told some soldiers to go back to Israel, and Kommersant correspondent was in that fraction of the battalion. The order was changed in a while, and Asmolov alone could count on the soon return to Israel. But the bombardment was severe and the independent walk would be self-destructive.
Fortunately, the tanks arrived at around 1:00 a.m. Asmolov knew a tank commander and was given a seat at the back of crowded Merkava. He shared the company of two travelers that time.
The battalion successfully did the task, the radio broadcast a few minutes before the tank crossed the border. But they will hardly march back to Israel soon.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Aug. 08, 2006
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