Monday, February 18, 2008

Getting ready to rumble in Lebanon?

The Israelis are concerned that UNIFIL is gradually being forced from Lebanon as the UN troops come under increasing attack.

A high-ranking defense official told The Jerusalem Post that Israel had indications Spain was considering withdrawing its forces from Lebanon. Spanish peacekeepers have come under repeated attacks by terrorist groups in southern Lebanon and in July, six members of the Spanish contingent were killed in an attack on their convoy near the village of el-Hiyam. ...

"There are signs that Spain might be on its way out," one official said. ... Once one country pulls out the rest of the contributors will also start to rethink their participation, and it could ultimately lead to the breakdown of the entire force," the defense official said.

It's not just the Israelis who are worried, the Saudi Arabian government has advised its citizens to avoid visiting Lebanon.

"The Foreign Ministry advises Saudi citizens against travelling to Lebanon in view of the political and unstable security conditions that Lebanon is going through," the statement said. Analysts said the warning might be based on intelligence or it could signal that Riyadh sees no prospect of a negotiated settlement.




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8 Comments:

Blogger What is "Occupation" said...

14 kassams, 7 mortars, today from gaza

the northern battlefield is lebanon, it too is not really quiet

Shootings in Lebanon...

Fish poisoned in Israel

Suicide Bombers in israel

Yep, the pimple of islamists is growing.

2/18/2008 06:37:00 PM  
Blogger El Baboso said...

You're always taught in tactic to attack your enemy's weakness first, right?

2/18/2008 07:39:00 PM  
Blogger wretchardthecat said...

I really wonder how the EU will fare in Kosovo if things start heating up. What with stuff happening in the Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Gaza -- not to mention "peacekeeping" missions like Darfur and the Congo -- what's a guy to do?

2/18/2008 07:43:00 PM  
Blogger What is "Occupation" said...

just add france, brussels, denmark, germany, finland, norway & spain....

then toss in england for laughs...

islam the pimple is a whitehead...

2/18/2008 08:59:00 PM  
Blogger 49erDweet said...

If Whiskey_199's recent comment on an earlier post is accurate, does that mean if the Saudi's are scared that their main man GWB will have us attacking the Hezzi's next? Hmmmmmm.

2/18/2008 11:35:00 PM  
Blogger Whiskey said...

I'm not quite sure what comment you were referring to?

Although I would not rule out stupid moves by Iran, to serve internal politics.

In "Guests of the Ayatollah," Mark Bowden points out that the hostages were held and threatened with execution even though at the time, Iran was threatened by the USSR in the north, and the USSR client Saddam in the West. When Saddam invaded in 1980, Iran continued to hold the hostages and delay, threaten executions, and drag things out. Even though they desperately needed US spare parts for their airforce. And had effectively no friends.

Why? Because using the Hostage crisis allowed the hard men to push out rivals. In a test of Islamic purity.

I would not be surprised to see Hezbollah used as an instrument against the US to push us out of the Gulf. OR simply to forment open war between Iran and the US for internal political reasons (destroy a faction).

Hezbollah truck bombs destroyed the US Embassy and Marine Barracks and chased us out of Lebanon with no repercussions. Same with Khobar towers -- no comeback for Hezbollah and Iran. Or Buenos Aires.

What then? Hezbollah *could* attack in the Continental US. Expecting at worst a few impotent missiles. At best Barack Obama sweeping into power ala Spain, and the US withdrawing entirely from the Gulf. Neither Hezbollah nor Iran's leaders understand the US very well. Likely their understanding is limited to CNN International or Al Jazeera.

AQ could also attack, much for the same reasons. With the same miscalculation. Air Freight jetliners have small crews, generally poor security, and can be efficient missiles to destroy say baseball stadiums filled with people. Killing people is never hard.

One has to wonder what Ramzi Yusef sought to accomplish in 1993 if his plans to kill 50,000 people by toppling one WTC tower onto the other would have succeeded. To an American it makes no sense whatsoever. Simply insuring an American invasion to nuclear response.

But Yusef and the Blind Sheik Abdel Rahman thought it would collapse America and bring about Sharia.

2/19/2008 12:37:00 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

If the Israelis are going to get condemned for defending themselves anyway why not make it worthwhile and wage the necessary extermination campaign against Hezbollah?

Doesn't the recognition of the Kosovo land grab by that Mulsim state wash out the illegitimacy argument against Israel?

2/19/2008 07:13:00 AM  
Blogger 49erDweet said...

My bad, W-199, meant Kevin's comments in "Picador".
Mea Culpa

2/19/2008 04:20:00 PM  

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