Scott Garrett: “on July 12 of this year, Hezbollah guerillas killed three Israeli soldiers and kidnapped another two, Ehud Goldwasser…”

“on July 12 of this year, Hezbollah guerillas killed three Israeli soldiers and kidnapped another two, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. All the while Hezbollah continued to launch rockets at civilian targets in northern Israel. These actions against Israel's sovereignty sparked Israel's defensive measures and the subsequent escalation of the conflict. In the end, as a direct consequence of Hezbollah's belligerence, more than 1,000 Lebanese and Israeli civilians lay dead and the infrastructure of Lebanon lay in ruins. When the cease-fire was brokered by the United Nations, it was the understanding of all parties, especially Israel, that the U.N. would work toward the release of Israel's kidnapped soldiers. Today, however, more than 2 months later, those two brave young men remain in captivity and their families remain uncertain of their future. Furthermore, Hezbollah remains armed with as many as 20,000 rockets aimed at Israel, according to this group's own claims. Just this past Friday, Mr. Speaker, Hezbollah's leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, threw a victory rally in Lebanon, taunting Israel, the peace-seeking government of Lebanon, and the United Nations as well with the probability that no one will ever see these two soldiers alive again.”