Ceasefire, Tanks in Tanks Out

After the negativity of the previous day, until the early hours of the morning I broadcasted history.

It was one of those days when from late afternoon until the early hours of the morning historical events where unfolding around me and in my ear. More on the ear bit later.

We had the UN saying ... oh I think we have a ceasefire deal ..... Israel comes out whilst we are doing Bill Hemmers show live 500 m from the border of the two countries in the village of Metula on top of the hotel roof, and says no deal "Mass Ground Invasion" to commence and from our vantage point we can see the actual tanks rolling into Lebanon and the tank shell streak thru the night sky and when Israel lets off a Missile Battery into the night sky it is something to behold. WE had shit happening all around us. Suddenly the UN tweaks resolutions and also shits itself as by all standards this situation is has become very very dangerous for all, and where is Mal sitting on the roof with Night scope Len watching it all happen, then late in the night as the Tanks are rolling and the shells are pounding. Israel says OK Ceasefire Sunday Morning after the weekly Cabinet Meeting, the Lebanese meet this morning to agree to the terms.

I am not going to bore anyone with "Terms and Conditions of the Ceasefire" But if you look at it from a funny side , just imagine both Presidents having to log onto "UN SECURITY COUNCIL dot COM" and having to left click on the " I AGREE" button

It is amazing what the night scope lens can pick up we could literally work with no lights apart from the street lights five floors below and if anyone moved they would cast a shadow over Bill's face, I could zoom into Lebanese Villages a couple of miles away and pan along deserted streets and the good thing about it all is that we are in the dark and effectively thus not a sniper target for any Hezbollah trying to pick off Infantry troops as the move up in country.

We ended up working thru till three am in the morning after the Prime time Main Bulletin "Fox Report" It was an insane intense day of being in the eye of the storm where all around you is chaos and doom, then the wind shifts and suddenly you are under attack and rockets land within 100 m off our position and I have it on tape, on a normal day (is there such a thing as a normal day here , be real here Mal, you are in a "WAR ZONE") the tape of the Katusah slamming thru the roof of the High School would be lead video on Prime time Bulletins.

How strange it was to listen to us all talk in the dark last night, the mood and atmosphere of events so different from the previous 24. When you are the closest live camera to the border and seeing history unfold, I reflect that my job takes me to incredible places, sometimes some are just better than others.

It is an amazing rush to watch world history.

But life on the road always has a moment which no matter what makes you laugh, by the time we all got back to the hotel at 3:30 in the morning. Saying good night in the hallway , you hear the magic words "Oh No" Scott Heidler had managed to break his key in the lock of the door. And thus we then spent the next twenty minutes trying to help him get into his room, in the end he had to climb over the balcony from my room into his.

Waking up this morning, I should add that the ceasefire does not start for another 24 hours and outside my window the blast of artillery continues into Lebanon.

Metula
Northern Israel Lebanon Border
Saturday August 12 2006

Keeping Safe as I can Lou, and Remember the Turtles BJ Love Dad