The Veto, Fajers and the Road to ...
Three major developments in the war in the Middle East have taken place in the last several hours. The first is that the US has vetoed a UN Security Council Resolution condemning Israel's incursions into Gaza. Note: Gaza, not Lebanon, which is suggestive. Second, Ynet reports that "Israeli aircraft struck the main highway linking Beirut to the Syrian capital Damascus early on Friday, a Lebanese security source said." Third, but not last, is the official speculation that the missiles which landed in Haifa were Iranian-manufactured Fajers, with a range of 70 km. According to the Times of London:
HAIFA, Israel’s third-largest city, was hit for the first time by rockets fired from Lebanon last night as the crisis over two captured Israeli soldiers erupted into open warfare. ... Daniel Ayalon, the Israeli Ambassador to the US, called the rocket attack on Haifa a “major, major escalation” and said that Israel was now at war. “The objective is to win this war,” he said. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, likewise gave warning of a new regional war. ...
Schools closed and hospitals moved patients to basements. Residents of towns such as Nahariya, Kiryat Shmona, Safed and Karmiel fled out of rocket range and lines of cars headed south piled high with bags. An estimated 500,000 Israelis were within range of the missiles Israeli military officials told The Times that whereas Hezbollah’s Katyushas or Grads had a range of only 20km its Iranian-manufactured Fajer could strike a target 70km away and the later Fajer 5 model 100km, enough to reach far south even of Haifa. They estimated recently that Hezbollah had 10,000 rockets of various types, but said that it had never before used the longer-range Fajer .
There are now suggestions -- unconfirmed at this point -- that Iranian personnel may be involved in the fighting. Here's a link to an old Lebanon wire story (www.lebanonwire.com/0503/05030602HZ.asp) now available only in Google's cache. I've highlighted certain key passages, otherwise it is verbatim.
Haaretz, March 6, 2005
Israel: Iranian Guard must withdraw from Lebanon along with Syrian troops By Ze'ev Schiff, Haaretz Correspondent
Israel has informed a number of countries, including the United States and France, that the demand for the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon, in keeping with the UN Security Council decision, will not be complete if it doesn't also lead to the departure of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps members, who have been in Lebanon for a long time and are providing assistance to Hezbollah's military wing.
Israel's official position is that the Syrian forces deployed in Lebanon are not the only foreign army in that country. Despite the fact that the Syrian force is a large one, and includes numerous units and an extensive intelligence set-up, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards play a significant and negative military role in Lebanon - a role that undermines Lebanese sovereignty.
The individuals in question make up a group of Iranian military officers and experts numbering at least dozens.
Unlike the overt Syrian military presence, the members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard keep a low profile. Iranians questioned on this presence have said the group consists only of medical personnel who are there to provide medical logistics assistance and the like. This claim is refuted.
Reports determine that the Iranian officers and experts have provided operational assistance to Hezbollah, and have even patrolled along the Israeli border with Hezbollah operatives.
Furthermore, an Iranian-made drone, which, according to Hezbollah sources, was sent on a reconnaissance mission over Israeli territory, took photographs above Israeli territory before crashing on its way back to Lebanon.
The Iranian explanation after the incident was that, if they wanted to, they could send a UAV armed with explosives into Israel.
In addition, it is well known that the Iranian experts are involved in the array in southern Lebanon of long-range Fajr rockets that threaten Israel. These are Iranian-made rockets that were given to Hezbollah together with numerous other ordnance. Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were involved in setting up Hezbollah's rocket formation.
Israeli officials have also informed Egypt of the government's position.
While the withdrawal of the Syrian forces from Lebanon depends first and foremost on a decision by Damascus if and when to respond to the Security Council's demand, the demand for the withdrawal of the Revolutionary Guards must come initially from the Lebanese government and must be directed at the government in Tehran.
According to assessments, the withdrawal of the Syrian forces from Lebanon will boost Hezbollah's weight as a military organization, leading in turn to a broader role for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in that country. The Lebanese army has no direct link to the Iranian activities in Lebanon, just as it has no control over arms shipments from Iran to Hezbollah.
Commentary
It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots. The conflict in Lebanon is still escalating. Where the escalator ends will be known presently.
BTW, Reuters is reporting that "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday an Israeli strike on Syria would be considered an attack on the whole Islamic world that would bring a 'fierce response'".
posted by wretchardthecat at 7/13/2006 03:32:00 PM
241 Comments:
It's amazing that the Saudis came out and said Heballah caused the problem, so they are responsible for fixing it themselves.
Saudi Arabia indicated on Thursday that Hizbullah bore the responsibility for the current crisis in Lebanon, Israel Radio reported.
In an official statement, the Saudi government said that a distinction must be drawn between "legitimate resistance" and "adventurous, irresponsible acts" committed by groups in Lebanon who don't recognize the government and don't coordinate with other Arab nations.
The statement said that these groups must take responsibility and solve the crisis themselves.
Israel is isolating the battlefield and doing reconnaissance by fire.
Since Israel can't hit Iran, it makes sense to go after Iran proxies in the area. Like Hezbollah. It makes Iran look weak since Iran cannot really do much effectively to help Hezbollah.
And since HaAretz (left wing Israeli newspaper)editorally opposes the Israeli action in Lebanon, this reinforces my opinion that this is the right move.
wu wei,
You've got a link for that Saudi commentary?
felix, why do you presume Israel canonot hit Iran? I for one am hopeful the Israelis will do something the U.S. does not appear to have the political will to do -- a simultaneous strike at the Iranian nuclear facilities and the Iranian political leadership. Let them send the message that leaders of countries who actively support terrorism will do so at the greatest of personal risks.
link
This link mentions the Saudi reaction. Iran also says that an attack on Syria would be an attack on the Arab world.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday an Israeli strike on Syria would be considered an attack on the whole Islamic world that would bring a "fierce response", state television reported.
"If the Zionist regime commits another stupid move and attacks Syria, this will be considered like attacking the whole Islamic world and this regime will receive a very fierce response," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying in a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The president made the comments after Israel struck Beirut airport and military airbases and blockaded Lebanese ports in reprisals that have killed 55 civilians in Lebanon since Hezbollah gunmen captured two Israeli soldiers a day earlier.
Link
I think this was the Saudi article I quoted.
"If the Zionist regime commits another stupid move and attacks Syria, this will be considered like attacking the whole Islamic world and this regime will receive a very fierce response," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying in a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
It's time to double down.
Wu Wei,
Thanks for the link.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Who says Iraq's been a failure? If the Saudis and Egyptians have been forced to do some calculus on where they come down on the Israel question, not to mention the idea of non-state actors being dangers to their hosts, the field has moved.
I think Sec. Rice (or Pres. Bush if that's what it takes) ought to get the Lebanese FM on the phone and cut a deal. We'll pay for the repairs if you let Israel finish the job. And keep the Hezbollah tumor from growing back. Seems like a win-win to me. The Lebanese end up more independent, the Israelis a bit safer, and we're only out maybe $1Bln, tops. Beats the $80bln/yr in Iraq.
I concur, Arist. What are the Iranians going to do in response -- sputter MORE threats and sponsor MORE terrorists?
At some point, you have to call the bluff.
Given the Saudi reaction and the way things are shaking out, I wonder if this will all tie together. I wonder if everyone will be forced to take sides and it will end up Iran, Syria, Hezbollah against the world? Maybe it will be the same coalition against both Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iranian nukes.
I know that the Arab nations will never actually attack Iran, but maybe they will stand on the sidelines and provide us cover, like in Desert Storm I. After all, I doubt if they feel comfortable with an Iranian nut case having nukes either. They're the first ones that he would make kneel.
I hope you are right, wu wei. It would be a very good sign from a troubled area of the world.
xI wouldn't be so sure that Russia will stick up for Iran either, not after all the blood Russia has spilled in Chechnya. Russia wouldn't help out of the goodness of their heart, but simply because no one would be safe if Iran has nukes. Putin is insane if he thinks he knows for sure that Iran wouldn't give some sort of bomb to someone in Chechnya.
Ledeen is exactly right:
"The important thing to keep in mind is that both the Gaza and northern Israel attacks were planned for quite a while, which means that Iran wanted this war, this way. It isn’t just a target of opportunity or a sudden impulse; it’s part of a strategic decision to expand the war."
The whole scenario is one of a chain of proxies - Hizbullah operated by Syria; Syria operated by Iran. Syria just provides the conduit for Iranian ammo to get into the south of Lebanon. Ultimately it is Iran that seeks to obtain regional control, with Syria accepting the domination of their more powerful Persian cousins as a tradeoff for the ability to hurt the U.S. any way it can. And why the desperation? Baby Assad is just too weak, financially and morally, after losing Lebanon and its massive piggy banks. Poor guy.
I wonder how all this relates to Iran's involvement in Iraq. Perhaps their Iraqi clients are not being as faithful as they would like, and Iran hopes to force them to choose.
Last week, the Iraqi security forces swept up some Shia militia leaders who sound like Iran's guys. Do the Iranians need to show they will stand by their clients?
Also, there is probably a major terror offensive in the works for Iraq. The terrorist would save their fire because there is no use stepping on headlines with this Lebanon stuff. But I'd look for it in a week or two.
I think now is the time to take care of Hezbollah, not only in Lebanon but in the sixty other odd and not so odd countries they operate in.
How to do it? Well, they talk a good world wide terror network but they haven't shown they will use it. Keep grinding on them until they have to use it, and then destroy them because they have.
Or perhaps we could let Lebanon invite us in to help disarm them --and then work to gather as much intelligence on them as we do that. This time our forces should not be confined to the barracks.
Israel must sweep southern Lebanon to rid itself of the missile threat against Haifa, which is what Chicago would be to the US. In the process it may or may not bag IRG, but it will ding the Hezbollah without question.
Now, Syria is the only large scale source of help for Hezbollah. The Damascene cavalry. The setup virtually guarantees a Syria-Israel clash. Iran has warned Israel against touch Syria. But touch, touch is very probable. Then Iran will respond in the only feasible way. Missiles maybe and possibly against Israel or other Mediterranean targets. Payload limits means chem warheads possible or else they will just be tokens. This is one possible scenario.
Stratfor speculates:
"Given the blockade and what appears to be the shape of the airstrikes, it seems to us at the moment the Israelis are planning to go fairly deep into Lebanon. The logical first step is a move to the Litani River in southern Lebanon. But given the missile attacks on Haifa, they will go farther, not only to attack launcher sites, but to get rid of weapons caches. This means a move deep into the Bekaa Valley, the seat of Hezbollah power and the location of plants and facilities. Such a penetration would leave Israeli forces' left flank open, so a move into Bekaa would likely be accompanied by attacks to the west. It would bring the Israelis close to Beirut again."
I don't know how much of this to agree with. But in a penetration of any depth, it is hard to see how Syria will stay out. My guess is that they can't stay out of it. Then we have the Middle Eastern equivalent of "some damn fool thing in the Balkans".
I don't know; but, I honestly believe that one chemical warhead sent toward Tel Aviv, and all the problems of the ME will be over. Other than the lingering radioactivity, of course.
I'm no military expert but I see no scenario in which the mullah's start shooting chemical warheads around and survive.
Maybe they think the 13th Imam is going to save them.
Hospitals and doctors are busy in Lebanon. Children are crying,bombs are falling.Syria is bad,Iran is worse.
Please stop.
Wretchard, it occurs to me that Israel has leaned over backwards to keep the word "Syria" out of their conversation. Coincidentally, the silence from Assad-ville has been Deafening.
Maybe, Leroy don't want that ball.
rufus,
Historically, the US has always given Israel a space in which to attain their war aims and then brokering a ceasefire, as in 1967 and 1973. But this time, the choice of a ceasefire line is no longer in Washington's power.
The real choice is whether to put on the brakes now or grit your teeth and hang on for the ride wherever it may go. And it can go anywhere.
Iran typically downplays its involvement in HA in order to lend it that additional Lebanese street cred, since it does serve as a party to the Lebanese government. Its involvement is umistakeable, and it is direct. Some Lebanese even joke that in certain parts of southern Lebanon, everyone speaks Levantine Arabic with a distinct Iranian accent, somewhat like the way south Philadelphians typically have a near-Italian patois.
As for what a clearing operation would entail - southern Lebanon is not large geographically; a couple brigades could probably clean the place out completely, since HA numbers about 500-600 experienced fighters (don't count the parade-walkers from the televised Ashoura demonstrations, those aren't real troops). The problem is that HA has power bases elsewhere - the southern suburbs of Beirut near the airport and the City Stadium (probably deeper than the IDF wants to go), and in the Bekaa Valley near Baalbeck. These areas are harder to reach and a bit more shifty. Baalbeck in particular gets the IDF very close to Syria, and that would certainly be a problem (been there once or twice - it's like the wild west, but with Land Rovers with blacked-out windows instead of horses).
That said, remember that actual events on the ground are still limited, despite the ominous sounds being generated everywhere. That might be part of the posturing game. Our best bet is to keep watching. We'll know where this goes soon enough.
Dennis Ross on Fox News just now said a few of interesting things:
1. For years it was alleged that the basis for violence against Israel was the occupation of Gaza and Lebanaon. Israel pulled out of both places and the violence against the country by the likes of Hamas and Hizbolah never stopped.
2. The violence led to Israeli reoccupation of those two countries and it almost looks as though Hamas and Hizbolah like it better that way - they don't have to drive as far to attack Israelis.
3. He advanced the same theory as that put forth by Omar at Iraq the Model; that Iran is saying "You don't like the idea of us having nukes? Well we have other options that you might like even less. For example..."
3. Hizbolah is doing Iran's bidding and not acting in the best interests of the people of Lebanon. In fact, it is not even acting in the best interests of Hizbolah.
The way I see it is that the problem for Iran is that this whole situation can be resolved by a few Jherico ballistic missiles launched at Iran. Israel is setting the stage for solving the Iranian problem.
Wretchard,
I don't know what Ahma Dahma Ding Dong thinks this is about, but this is all about Nukes, UN, and Iraq. The Mullahs need a great amount of Chaos for some indeterminate (to us) period.
Cutting off oil imports, and instituting rationing, was, almost certainly, a bluff.
I don't think Syria wants to play. The eye-doctor may not be a Mensa Candidate, but I think he realizes that this game is too big for him.
Thursday Israel radio reported that the fuel depot at Beirut airport was rocked by explosions and thousands of gallons of aviation fuel were on fire.
An official off record said they were sure it was the work of people who bomb things.
The population of Israel is under severe pressure to avoid falling debris. An official statement by doctors at Beth Shalom hospital said falling debis was bad if it falls on you. If you hear falling debris do not look up. Beth Shalom doctors also warned Israelis of serious injury from AK-47 bullets and to not get hit by them.
The US State Department said it agreed.
If Teheran asserts that an Israeli attack on Syria, the Mullahs' supine client-state, would represent an attack on the "entire Muslim world", why not reply that these barbarous dolts' assaults on Haifa constitute acts of war on the entire Western world? Despite appearances of late, there is one... and Kim Jong-il is not its avatar.
After last year's Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, the Bush administration had a three-to-six month window to take out Bashir Assad and his gang of sinister clowns. As with North Korea's provocations, America blustered and threatened, deployed the Sixth and Seventh Fleets, and then sank back. We know the retro-Left response to unilateral "big stick" action would call down fire from heaven; and we also know that inaction in such contexts consigns millions of people to the ash-heaps of Islamofascist and remnant Communist regimes.
Surprising, what victory achieves in terms of political success. But like Bush II's failure to veto admittedly unconstitutional legislation, an inexplicable failure of will numbs the heart of all but his most overriding concerns.
Wretchard,
You said,
"Now, Syria is the only large scale source of help for Hezbollah. The Damascene cavalry. The setup virtually guarantees a Syria-Israel clash. Iran has warned Israel against touch Syria. But touch, touch is very probable. Then Iran will respond in the only feasible way. Missiles maybe and possibly against Israel or other Mediterranean targets. Payload limits means chem warheads possible or else they will just be tokens. This is one possible scenario."
If Iran, weak as it is to project force against Israel, and Syria also with VX Warheads, were to launch them on Israeli population centers, What do you think is the likely Israeli response given the Current Prime Minister, and Military Brass of the Israeli's ?
What if any U.S. assistance do you expect if Israel retaliates for VX attacks on Israel ?
Cutting off "Gasoline" imports. Talk about your Mensa candidates.
I'm still having a hard time figuring out Iran's game here. I just don't buy that they did this to provide a distraction from their nuke program. Everybody knows they are ultimately behind this, so it only heightens the focus on them and makes their nuke program less acceptable. If anything, this hurts them in terms of stalling on their nuke program.
Also, if Israel goes in and crushes Hezbollah, then Iran is almost forced to offer up some response in order to preserve their credibility. I think that pretty much means launching missiles. But, if they do, it's basically open season on Iran by our forces poised on all of their borders. Weird.
Maybe they already have a nuke of some sort. Or maybe they and Hizbollah have Saddam's chemical weaponry waiting for the IDF and don't care what happens to the local citizenry. Or maybe they have something up their sleeve that nobody is considering. Or maybe they all just wildly miscalculated as to what the response to this would be, but that seems unlikely.
It's both fascinating and very disturbing. Makes you wonder if something is about to go off here (the U.S.).
Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Gillerman stressed Friday in an interview to CNN that Israel was attacking the Hizbullah and its infrastructure, and had no intention of destabilizing the current government of Lebanon.
When asked why the Beirut International Airport was targeted by the IAF in two series of strikes on Thursday, Gillerman explained that Israel had decided to target the airport because the IDF had intelligence that it could be a route via which the Hizbullah would attempt to smuggle two kidnapped IDF soldiers out of Lebanon.
We don't want them whisked away," Gillerman said, adding that Israel would do "whatever necessary to retrieve the soldiers, secure its borders, and protect its citizens."
When asked if Israel was considering an attack on Syria and Iran, the ambassador responded that there was no doubt that the "twisted minds" of Syria and Iran were behind the kidnappings, which occurred Wednesday morning when Hizbullah guerrillas attacked IDF soldiers along the Lebanese border, killing eight.
Most of the arsenal utilized by the Hizbullah, Gillerman continued, was financed by Syria and Iran. "[Israel's] aim is to stop Hizbullah shelling," he stated, whereas the Hizbullah specifically targeted civilians.
"For them, every dead civilian, every dead child, is a cause for celebration. For us, every dead civilian is a tragedy. That's the difference between us and them," he declared.
jpost.com
Link
This is a very in-depth article about whether Israel will launch a ground offensive. There are a lot of reasons why they might not.
scott,
Anything Iran fires at Israel will have to go over Iraq, unless they can loop one over the corner of Turkey. It will have to go over USAF and Army air defense controlled airspace. I'm not sure whether it will be within intercept envelope at this stage of the trajectory. However, Israel has some limited means of hitting incoming ballistic missiles. The preferred means of neutralizing missiles, is of course, air strikes on the launchers. Or ground assault over the launchers. Either way will make the entire region and the Europeans who have squat, nada, nil, between them and the missiles more nervous than a cat in a roomful of rocking chairs.
Maybe Iran wants to be attacked.
You know, it explains their "foolish" desire to play chicken with the world's sole superpower, too. It is a documented fact that Al'Qaeda wanted the West to attack Muslims in response to 9/11 so they could rally the base. Perhaps the regime in Teheran believes they would lose the battle but, having survived, win the war?
Maybe we are the ones stuck: stuck in nation-state mode. Maybe our enemies are playing a different game.
But then again, it seems they would rather wait around for a few nukes.
Or have they already acquired them?
There is a good possibility that Iran simply doesn't believe we would invade and capture the leadership in the event of war. If so, worst case scenario is being in the wrong place at the wrong time while the bombs are dropping. Best case is that, after retribution has ended, infrastructure is sent back a hundred years, and the population is teeming mad at the outside, infidel world.
Aristedes,
Agreed Iran may just want to be attached.
OT,
This looks like big new to me.
Pak's ISI masterminded 11/7, says intelligence
Good link, Wu. And, let's not forget the hundreds, if not thousands, of Iranian designed Shaped-Charge IED's, capable of taking out a tank. It could be a pretty tough go - especially if the plan is to just turn around and go back.
There is a good bet that Iran is right.
Why is Iran doing this? Why now? I think it's a "Conspiracy" to make me watch too much TV, read too many Blogs, and drink way too much beer.
Damn, I'm out of popcorn!
I think there's the possibility that GWB knew that Iran was gearing up for a showdown. In which case the best course was to get Iran to escalate things to early. To keep an incident, which Iran had planned on ramping up at its pace, on a fast escalator up. That way Iran would get in over its head very quickly.
It struck me that the President is said to be a poker player. Maybe just a coincidence.
Wow. If that is the case, Felix, then Musharraf's recent pledge to help find those responsible better be real, and hard hitting.
What's going on? Are we on the clattering train?
I wonder when we'll reach the point where Iran goes all in.
Mussahif not being able to control ISI is an old story. If a neighboring country's secret service plans an attack like what happened in Bombay, then that is a "cassus belli". But I don't know what India does.
Well, that reckless warhead of a president, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad obviously believes in the coming of the madhi, which will arrive at the last hour to save the Iranians from apocalypse. This act of war by employing proxies is a deliberate provocation intended to instigate Israel and the U.S. to invade Iran.
Even his own Shia co-religionists within the country as well as the administration are wary of Ahmedinejad's extent of religious zealotry, but it is safe to say that the Iranian regime needs escalation of the current situation in order to galvanise its citizens and prop itself up - thereby distracting them from
a) pursuing civil disobedience in order to pressure the mullahs to reform and democratise
b) addressing and sympathising with the border minorities in Iran (for example, the Baluchs, Azeris) who have protested against violent state security forces and discrimination, thus threatening Iran's social fabric and stability
Without the impetus of an impending "Western" invasion, the Iranian regime would have gone under much sooner. Their exploitation of the nuclear card as a nationalist clarion call further betrays this weakness of the regime.
It seems that whether Iran survives an all-out invasion by Israel and the U.S. is of no consequence to Ahmadinejad: what matters is no matter the collateral damage, the regime must be forced to the brink of total annihilation in order to bring out the "saviour" - which is perfectly understandable because these fundamentalists don't respect the sanctity of life and thus are much inclined not to worry about sacrificing their own brethren, as long as the eventual corollary is more casualties on the other side.
Are we seeing self-organized criticality?
The NY Sun has an op ed piece that starts "the war on Iran has begun". It also says: "Years from now, the kidnapping of Corporal Gilad Shalit will be regarded like the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand."
That was the saddest war of all. The landscape still remembers the men who would be "home before the leaves fall". They wander still.
Wretchard,
you wrote:
"Anything Iran fires at Israel will have to go over Iraq, unless they can loop one over the corner of Turkey. It will have to go over USAF and Army air defense controlled airspace. I'm not sure whether it will be within intercept envelope at this stage of the trajectory. However, Israel has some limited means of hitting incoming ballistic missiles. The preferred means of neutralizing missiles, is of course, air strikes on the launchers."
Slap me if it's wrong, but Iran night-trucking missiles and liquid fuel trucks to Shiraz would put them in Close Proximity to Their Chemical Weapons Plants and the ability to lob missiles over Saudi Arabian and Jordanian Airspace. As cagey as the Mullah-occracy has been about concealment and shell games it wouldn't surprise me if they already have, which leaves ? AEGIS cruisers in the Persian Gulf the only option to shoot down missiles ? We saw how well that worked during Reagan's term.
While I don't think moving Shahab 3's around with attendant supply/Fuel truck entourage would go entirely undetected via satellite, it could be done. And those Shahab's are reported to be accurate to 90m, (on who's GPS signals, ours?)
2 to 4 VX warheads on Israeli population centers and Everyone's chips are "All In" -- last hand, deal the cards.
When for thirty years the Arab thugs have had free rein, with impunity, it is not surprising that these thugs might have anticipated the same old weak-kneed Western response to their attacks upon Israel from Gaza and Lebanon. Indeed, without the influence of Mr. Bolton at the UN, Qatar’s anti-Israeli resolution might have passed today.
The fact that “The Party of God” has not brought down fire and brimstone upon northern Israel via massive rocketry barrages suggests that the Arabs do not take the Israeli incursion all that seriously. If Israel acts with ruthless dispatch to obliterate Hezbollah, the game may be over before the Arabs fully grasp that the game has changed.
As to Syria, if Israel destroys Hezbollah, Lebanon will, at long last, truly be free. Syria, consequently will find itself an isolated thug-rookery in a democratic sea. In short, the end of Hezbollah will signal the end of Syria.
At the moment, the only move available to Iran is against US interests in Iraq, and only then with extreme care.
Unless the US steps in to brake Israel, within weeks the Coalition’s western front could be stabilized, finally permitting the US to undistractedly concentrate its focus to the east. It was always the case that no full throttled move could be made militarily against Iran with the mess of the ME unattended.
Scott,
If the Iranians took their launchers far enough south, they might great circle it over the northern corner of Saudi Arabia but the range will open to about 1,800 km. And as you point out, the first part of the trajectory would be over water. I am not a missile defense expert and don't know if that leg of the trajectory would be in anybody's engagement envelope.
But yeah, you're right, if they went south enough they could shoot around Iraq at least on the map.
Actually, my only certainty is that whoever planned this is off-plan by now. If that's good or bad, I don't know. I do know that it tends to favor the Israelis as they have better C&C tech/training.
Maybe it really was just a bridge to far by Hizbollah. It almost makes more sense. Sure the Iranians are going to beat their chests. Nobody else seems to want a piece though.
Whether that's b/c Hosni has his own "Muslim problems" and Syria and Saudi Arabia have the US Army sitting on their border, or more charitably - that Egypt and Saudi Arabia have decided that the Palis are counterproductive to their own ends, it really doesn't seem like anyone wants to pick a fight.
And given Iran's geographic and military realities, they are kind of like that guy who claims "you're all lucky this dude is holding me back" as he backpedals. Could that guy turn an argument into a riot? Sure. Does it happen often? Nope.
Also, for all the talk, if Iran disintegrated as a country tomorrow, would you feel better or worse about terrorists procuring bio-,chem-, and dirty- bomb capabilities?
The Law of Unintended Consequences can no more be avoided than the Laws of Thermodynamics. There Ain't No Such Thing As Free Energy, and Nothing Ever Goes Completely According to Plan.
Wretchard, Iran has indeed gone very far out on a limb, courtesy of Ahmadinejad's public security guarantee for Syria.
In a sense, however, this guarantee merely reiterates Iran's recent bilateral security agreements with Syria, the most recent of which was signed in June 2006.
The practical result in my opinion is that Iran has just committed itself to victory or defeat in a contest it cannot control and possibly cannot if its opponents respond with the full measure of their strength.
To put it another way, if President Bush is responding like the poker player he is, then he knows he's holding aces. The only question is when and how to play the winning hand.
BTW, no one should be surprised about SUNNI Saudi Arabia's blaming of Hezbollah for recent events, for SHIITE Ahmadinejad just committed the cardinal sin of asserting leadership of the predominantly Sunni
Muslim umma.
Saudi Arabia, not to mention Jordan and Egypt, does not want to see the dreaded Persians further entrench themselves in the region. And they are counting on Washington to make sure it doesn't happen.
It was said Iran's Mullahs felt an attack on their nuke program would rally the people to the regime. But would a war for Syrian sponsored terrorists have the same effect?
I blame this on Bush acting Sane. They think they can predict what he'll do. Bring back the Cowboy!
What is an easy way to make all these fools howl with pain (including the BBC)?
Here's one thing I would suggest: a stabilization program for South Lebanon. So Hezbollah gets the shove.
But also the Palestinian refugees who have been there for going on what--60 years.
Here is the offer: those who wish to become Lebanese citizens and renounce all other loyalties should be allowed to do so (after a probationary period, of course.) Those who wish to go to Syria should be allowed to go to Syria. Those who wish to be refugees can go to the West Bank. On second thought, make that Gaza (for the total refugee experience!)
In turn, those refugee camps on the West Bank should be scheduled to shut down within two to three years and the "refugees" integrated into the neighboring populations.
The anti-Americans of the world need their Palestinian refugees and they will fight for them! While President Bush fights for a normal life for these refugees.
And all the countries that want them, can, of course, have them (that ought to shut them up). Sixty years is long enough. Lebanon has done all that anyone can reasonably expect!
Wretchard: I doubt very much if we have weaposn in place in Iraq that can intercept ballistic missiles enroute from Iarn it Israel. A characteristic of ballistics is that they go about as high as they go far. It actually takes more energy to go lower. So they will be hundreds of miles high when they cross Iraq. And the same is true of Israeli Jherico missiles.
The Patriot inteceptors were effective to the degree thay were because they were near the point of impact. And of course, you don't really shoot missiles "down" but instead disable the warheads and to some degree deflect them from their course - although that means they hit somewhere else not too far away - and you hope their warheads are not working.
But there is not the slightest doubt in my mind that should Iran shoot at Israel that our Air Forces supporting OIF would have an absolute field day about 15 minutes later. For that matter so would the US Army. Few people seem to recall that the Army deployed ballistic missile units to Iraq for OIF.
I wonder if anyone in the area has radars that can tell a US Army ballistic missile from a IAF Jherico. That is, besides us. I doubt it.
I'm still having a hard time figuring out Iran's game here. I just don't buy that they did this to provide a distraction from their nuke program. Everybody knows they are ultimately behind this, so it only heightens the focus on them and makes their nuke program less acceptable. (motr_dude @ 5:11 PM)
That's my assessment, too. Makes you wonder if they haven't simply miscalculated here, expecting they could poke Israel a little through their proxies and get away pretty much Scott-free.
I wonder if they really wanted to get in so deep so fast. But now they are in it.
It seems to me the mullahs are destined to lose this game. They may lose their lives, or they may lose their clandestine nuclear facilities. One way or another this does not end well for them. Either the international community will finally get tough, or someone will bomb the hell out of something.
Israel just opened it up. If Hez. follows through with their threat, they'll start unloading lots of long range missiles.
I figured that might happen when Israel ordered people into the bomb shelters at 4 AM their time.
Israeli warplanes early Friday bombed southern Beirut, home to the offices of Hezbollah and the group's leader, as the Israeli-Lebanese violence that has killed dozens of Lebanese civilians and 10 Israelis entered its third day.
Wu Wei said...
It's amazing that the Saudis came out and said Heballah caused the problem, so they are responsible for fixing it themselves.
Saudi Arabia indicated on Thursday that Hizbullah bore the responsibility for the current crisis in Lebanon, Israel Radio reported.
In an official statement, the Saudi government said that a distinction must be drawn between "legitimate resistance" and "adventurous, irresponsible acts" committed by groups in Lebanon who don't recognize the government and don't coordinate with other Arab nations.
The statement said that these groups must take responsibility and solve the crisis themselves.
///////////////////////////
imho this means that the sunni community is giving the israelis the green light to throw out the minority baathist shia alawites in syria and replace them with sunnis--to reorder the balance upset by the overthrow of the minority bathist sunnis in iraq.
Oh yeah, Rwe; everyone in the world would know immediately where the missiles came from. We wouldn't act. We wouldn't have to. If a chem-tipped missile got past the Arrows, Israel would vaporize Qom; and Qom knows it.
Again, we can't be seen teaming up with Israel against a Muslim country. That really could ignite a Total ME War. That wouldn't be good for Israel, or us.
Sorry if someone else has already posted this, but the best thing that could happen for the long-term progress of Lebanon would be for Hezbollah to be soundly defeated. Ditto for the Palestinians and Hamas.
Vladimir Putin is a snake I would not trust for one split second. I do believe he and his country DO support Iran, because they are using Iran as a proxy against the United States and Israel. Iran understands this, which leads me to conclude that Iran would not attack Russia. If I were President Bush at the G8 summit, I would not make nice with Putin. Formalities have to be observed, but getting buddy-buddy with Vlad would not be on my list of priorities.
Russia obstructed at every step of the progress in removing Saddam. Russia took bold and extraordinary steps to remove the WMD's. Russia has not been any help at all on Iran, and still our State Department does not want the embarassing details of Operation Sarindar made known for fear of alienating Russia.
My less diplomatic side would permit me, if I were Dubya, to tell Putin to go to hell.
And it was exhilarating today to see the U.S. veto the U.N. resolution codemning Israel. Take that Chirac! How does it feel, Vladimir?
Wretchard,
You wrote:
It struck me that the President is said to be a poker player. Maybe just a coincidence...
The president and I attended Yale at roughly the same time (he graduated in 1968; I in 1969).
I didn't know him, but a friend of mine played poker with him and concluded, "Never play poker with Bush."
;-)
Jamie Irons
Fred, every rational analysis tells us that Russia should be Pro-U.S./Anti-Iran in this scenario. But, your lying eyes tell you otherwise. Why? It's simple. States are not necessarily "Rational" actors, any more than people are.
Putin's heart longs for the days of USSR Super-Powerdom. The USA is perceived (by Putin, anyway) as the biggest obstacle to Russia's re-attainment of this goal.
Besides, Putin is an asshole. Oops, I think my 5th beer just kicked in.
I don't understand why everyone thinks this whole scenario is chess-like 4-dimensional planning on the part of the mad mullah's of Iran - that they have *chosen* this time and place to "expand" the war.
We *know* that Arabs don't have the same discipline in their troops as the West does. We *know* that Iran frequently indulges in "magic thinking" and an inability to understand reality on the ground. We *know* that the Palestinians have been breeding for crazed murderousness for decades.
Why doesn't it make just as much sense to think that the terrorists are doing what they do best: running amok, kidnapping people and blowing up shit simply because they can? And the "leadership", whether it's in Syria or Iran or Ramallah, has totally lost any grasp on reality or reins on the situation on the ground, and had absolutely NO intention of starting a war now or in a place like Lebanon.
Nahncee--Makes More sense, to me.
I can't help but think about Chess. It seems to have originated in Southern Asia, but gained great popularity in Iran.
It came to Europe from Iran, and then the Russians took it to a whole, new level.
I've known a few very good chess players. They all thought they would master poker fairly easily.
They Didn't.
RWE,
Thanks for the info on missile defense.
nahncee:
Because, despite all their appearance of nuttiness, the mullahs have for the most part been pretty crafty over the last several years when it comes to playing that chess game and increasing their prestige and power in the region. This seems out of character for them in that they seemed to have overplayed their hand, unless they have some ace up their sleeve that nobody else seems to have identified. (Please excuse the mixed metaphors. lol)
Like somebody said above, it's probably gone way off plan at this point. I hope that's it.
California Yankee reports the UN is sending a team to the Middle East to broker peace.
The team will be led by Vijay Nambiar, Annan's special political adviser. It also includes U.N. Mideast envoy Alvaro de Soto and Terje Roed-Larsen, Anna's special envoy who has overseen implementation of a U.N. resolution demanding Syria end its sway over Lebanon.
"Mr. Nambiar will emphasize to all parties the secretary-general's call to exercise restraint and to do whatever possible to help contain the conflict," Annan's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement released in Rome, where Annan is visiting.
The three officials will head to Cairo for a meeting of the Arab League foreign ministers on Saturday and also travel to Israel, Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, the U.N. said.
This team is full of lightweights and not going to Iran. It's designed to fail. If it had a snowball's chance in hell, Kofi Annan would be heading it himself to cover himself in glory. I'm guessing Annan knows the iron is far from hot, but has to put up this show. That's sad, because it is a tacit admission that things are going to have to get worse before they get better.
It's obvious why Israel is responding as they have. It's much less obvious why Iran would consider this moment to be the right time to provoke a crisis. I haven't read much analysis of this question other than the speculation that they're trying to divert attention from their nuke program. That seems to me to be a weak possibility since they're doing quite well already due to the general fecklessness of the U.N. and the west, generally. Given Ahmadinejad's bellicose bloviating and his letter to Bush inviting him to convert to Islam (historically an Islamic prelude to war), is it possible that Iran already has nukes and all of this is a provocation Iran wants to use to claim self-defense when they use their nukes? That may sound over-the-top but there's clearly something missing that isn't explained by the "divert the west's attention" theory offered by others.
Right... Iran planned all this... Al Qaeda wanted us to kick its ass in Afghanistan and then move on to Iraq... Now this...
Wow. It's a wonder these guys don't run the world with all this provocative genius.
Idiots.
Is chess the game now?
I thought it was lawn darts.
Has Bashir Assad said a word, a single word, during all this?
Trish:
Is chess the game now?
I thought it was lawn darts...
Now that was quite funny.
Dry, but quite funny...
;-)
Jamie Irons
Condoleeza Rice is now calling for restraint. Says that Egypt has been working to find a solution. The idea seems to be Syria must pull back Hezbollah and Israel pull back from Lebanon. This would be a win-win for Lebanon, if it would rid them of Syria. It would be a victory, albeit a limited one, for Israel. Syria would be the loser. IF it can be done.
The question is does Syria have a choice? Can it evacuate Lebanon and take Hezbollah with them? My guess is it would be like pulling teeth. But the alternative is facing the IDF.
What Rice expects from the thugs:"...Syria needs to act responsibly and stop the use of its territory for these kinds of activities and it needs to bring all pressure on those that it is harboring to stop this and to return these soldiers and to allow this situation to deescalate."
That's a tall order. I don't read anything being asked of Israel but to avoid killing civilians.
Yoni, on Hewitt, says they have no idea what's going to hit them next.
Who them is is still in question, ie Syria too? (Iran?)
Says their Commie Defense guy almost got hit by a missile, so presumably got whatever attention he has available for such realities.
He says by Monday or Tuesday, this will be quite a different World, and he may get called back depending on what results.
Ledeen, whose son serves in Iraq, says thousands come across the border from Syria to kill Americans and Iraqi Civilians.
We the enlightened ones at Belmont that called for
"On to Damascus" would have saved lives, but of course we knew that at the time, which is why we called for it.
Team Bush, however, resides in the 70's, when sanctuaries are thought to provide places of Worship, presumably to LBJ figurines.
The Dems and half the world live in 1939.
Yoni know has a Blog at townhall:
http://yoni.townhall.com/
The Cap'n thinks Hez has "screwed the pooch." He puts it a bit more eruditely.
Link to the Cap'n.
At this stage it is clear Israel is going to irradicate Hezbollah. They have no choice. Iran has talked of ultimately destroying Israel and Hezbollah is at Iran's Bekáa and call. Hezbollah has to go and IMO it is in the process of being liquidated.
The launching of more advanced Iranian missiles by Hezbollah qauchsuccas is the crossing of the Rubencon [sic].
Splendid.
"And why the desperation? Baby Assad is just too weak, financially and morally, after losing Lebanon and its massive piggy banks. Poor guy. "
---
Ledeen says Assad would fall if Hezbullah was run out of Dodge.
(can't remember if he said just Lebannon or Syria also!)
They're stocking up on Sidowski heat-seeking missiles, also!
Does anyone know where the carriers are right now?
I think I read somewhere that Olmert talked Sharon into getting out of Gaza. I don't know it it's true, but it was a "stroke of genius."
I don't know how this is going to work out, but it might be okay. Actually, it might be really good. Here's hoping.
Not to mention the Aegis.
8:35 PM Kicking the can was down a road to Hell.
Omar, at ITM, reported that Iraqi bloggers supported Israel 10:1 against Hamas, and now Saudi Arabia comes out and disowns Hizbollah. Egypt is blaming Syria/Iran? for scuttling a deal, and Syria is deathly quiet. Jordan went on vacation, and Pakistan is busy trying to convince India that they ain't never heard of no Kashmiri terrorists.
The market for "Virgins" is looking positively Bullish.
Wretchard, and all DON'T MISS this message from Mars/Syria by Professor John Landis!
Jeesh!
Unconfirmed reports -- I'm not sure how reliable this news agency is that Iran's National Security Adviser is in Syria to pep up the Hezbollah.
Iran's mullahs declare support for Palestinian terrorists
Jul 13, 2006
Iran's top national security official Ali Larijani has met with Palestinian terrorist groups to voice the Islamic republic's "decisive support" for their battle against Israel, state media said Thursday.
A report by the official news agency IRNA said Larijani, during a flying visit to close ally Syria on Wednesday, declared "the Islamic republic's decisive support for the Palestinian and the Lebanese resistance against Israel."
The report said Larijani had met with "Palestinian movement leaders who are against the peace process", including arab-muslim terrorist groups Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command (PFLP-GC).
The visit came as Israel launched offensives against both Lebanon and the Gaza Strip over the killing and capture of Israeli soldiers by arab-muslim terrorists.
This IS The View From The Scum at DailyKos:
Imagine a world without Israel
by qrswave
Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 06:41:50 PM PDT
Or is that not allowed?
qrswave's diary :: ::
Muslims, Jews, and Christians could live in peace without fear of mutual destruction.
There would be no more need for US AID or justification for Dimona.
We could bring down the Wall, send prisoners home, and families could be reunited.
We could dismantle checkpoints, open crossings, and pull down barbed wire fences.
There would be no more settlements or armed settlers because the people would be united.
We could replant trees and olive groves and rebuild battered cities.
No more suicide bombers or sniper fire, and no more dead civilians.
No more targeted killings and hell-fire missiles, or systematic demolitions.
Palestinians and Jews could live together and the world could address other issues.
What a simpler place this world would be
if there was no need for a Jewish majority - where there would otherwise be none.
Is it so hard to imagine?
Think of the humiliation for Iran, when Israel does liquidate Hezbollah.
Iran may be willing to fight to the last Hezbolloid.
Doug,
Landis is right in this: if Israel doesn't follow through, if it finds itself stranded in mid-stream it will indeed have been a victory for Syria. But on the other hand, this creates an almost existential argument for Israel to punch as far as it can, before the forces of PC can drag it down.
The irony is that Syria has left Israel with no effective half-measures. Landis analysis only works if the IDF does not parade through Damascus.
Wretchard,
There you are, Syrian Troops massing near the Golan
http://www.inthebullpen.com/archives/5072
She’s told me that there is a lot more happening than we know about over in the USA and Europe as the media are not getting everything. She knows people in the IDF. She has been told to get her gas mask out of storage at home and stay there. She also said that IDF soldiers are patrolling streets and trying to reassure people.
Syrian Troops are massing near the Syrian border (golan heights) and the IDF are trying to figure out if it’s just a precautionary move of something more sinister. She also mentioned about rockets hitting the town of Sedat. Unknown casualties. There are constantly Jets flying overhead and people are getting ready for another Arab Israeli war.
Fill up your Petrol cans and keep your car topped up. By lots of tinned food and bottled water and make sure you escalate your survival preparations in tandem with the escalation of the situation in the ME.
9:05 PM Wretchard:
- He seems more convinced of the weakness of our position than the Democrat Party!
---
...luckily, Yoni does not think Israel will take Missiles from Iran to it's major cities lying down.
Even Communists don't like to die for their unreal dreams.
Ledeen does not expect troops in Damascus, perhaps special forces, but thinks Assad can be toppled w/o major invasion.
Reports were that last night this was being lightly covered by the MSM.
Larry King/Dan Rather much more compelling in it's importance!
Scott,
Obvious move by the Syrians. Even if they don't attack they believe they can compel Israel to match forces on the Golan, thereby weakening the Lebanon attack. Unfortunately, Israel may decline the gamit and push into Lebanon, inviting a flank attack.
Syria would be stupid to take the chance. It's like the spaghetti western scene where you leave a gun and invite El Feo to go for it, with alternating closeups. But who knows?
Wretchar, The Israeli's could give them 20 - 1 superiority and completely annihilate them. For Syrian armor to match up against the Israeli's is quite simply, madness. For one thing, the Israeli gunners would be lucky to get off a shot at a "live" target when the Israeli Air Force gets through.
Surely, there's no chance that Syria could be that stupid.
Something to remember is that other than the Iraq Maneuverist attacks in 1988 that ended the Iran-Iraq war, Iran has not LOST anything. The leaders have no gut feeling of what it means to lose and lose bad.
Syria has had Lebanon to itself for a long time - and did not Syria and Hizbollah kick the USA and Israel out of Lebanon?
They live in a false picture of the world based upon limited successes in decades past.
I agree there is lots going on and would love to comment, but I want Israel to win. Just keep our mouths shut and enjoy the ride!
You're right, RR. Enjoy the ride, because you're going to pay for it when you pull up to the gas pump, tomorrow. On that depressing thought, I think I've drunk enough. Wake me up when the real shooting starts. G'nite.
Wretchard,
Do the Syrians read your blog ?
you said Obvious move by the Syrians. Even if they don't attack they believe they can compel Israel to match forces on the Golan,
Does Israel have all the Inflatable Tanks, Hummers, Artillary pieces and blow up doll troops out on the Golan ?
Will the Arabs go for it again ya think ?
Iran shot over 100 missies at Iraq during the War of the Cities in the 1980s war.
Whether the missiles could be intercepted depends on their trajectories and speed.
The Navy's SM-2 does 4 km/sec and has a range of 100 miles. It can target air and land targets. The SM-2 needs a special war head to target missiles. The SM-2 is launched from Aegis systems and is used to shoot down missiles in the boost and terminal phase.
Iran may think all the special SM-2 are in Korea. In any case, they just need to stay far enough away from the coast to avoid Gulf-based Ageis.
An Aegis system would be best placed off Haifa about where the Liberty got hammered - rather than in the Gulf.
The PAC-2 and 3 and Arrow are used for point defense on terminal phase. The Israeli Arrow has much better capabilities than the PAC.
Israel would need a feed from the US missile warning system and handoffs from US Aegis and Theater systems so they could accurately prioritize and engage Iranian and Syrian systems.
Israel may have other ABM systems as well.
Isreal has to go after Hizbollah now.
They have to remove Hizbollah in order to gain a free hand to deal with Syria and then Iran.
If Hizbollah can be taken down, then this destroys Iran's base of power in the West. It would also discredit the Mullahs in Iran.
It would then greatly weaken Assad and give dissidents in Syria the cause to unseat Assad.
A possibility too is that Jordan invades Syria under the guise of "protection" to re-unite the Hashemite Kingdom.
What is so unexpected is that Israel has siezed the strategic initiative.
"you said Obvious move by the Syrians. Even if they don't attack they believe they can compel Israel to match forces on the Golan"
Israel so mind-screwed the Syrians in the Bekaa Valley 20 years ago... I attended a brief on this in the late 80s and when the Officer finished, we sat in stunned silence. The only other times I have felt this way is the when studying Austerlitz.
With today's counterbattery and linked sensor-shooter systems, the Golan is a death trap for an attacker. The Merkava tank carries 80 rounds for a reason.
This time, unlike 73, there will be no Iraqis or Soviet airlift to save the Syrians should they do something stupid.
The real enemy is Hizbollah (Iran ) - the Syrians are just an annoyance. Should Syria attack, then it would make it easier for Israel as they would gain room for manuever.
Ironically, to defeat Hisbollah, Israel needs to collapse Syria first.
pyrthroes - But like Bush II's failure to veto admittedly unconstitutional legislation, an inexplicable failure of will numbs the heart of all but his most overriding concerns.
Ahhh, you must be talking about tax cuts for the wealthy, his daily bike rides.
"It would then greatly weaken Assad and give dissidents in Syria the cause to unseat Assad. "
---
That is what Ledeen thinks.
I think if we had followed his advice instead of the Arabists and traitors in the State Dept we would be far ahead of where we are now.
Most of his ideas don't even call for Military action, just removing our heads from our behinds.
In order to execute a ground invasion of Lebanon Israel will most likely need to call up reserves. Although they have called up some reserves there haven't been reports of widespread call ups.
Disarming Hezbolla will require a ground invasion. I think that much of their rockets are stored in underground bunkers that are resistant to aerial attack. Debka reported that "most" of Hezballa's rockets were moved to an underground storage area south of Beirut. If true, they may not be able to fire very many more. Destruction of bridges and roads will hinder their ability to move these rockets and hit Israel.
A ground invasion to disarm HB will not be a cakewalk. I believe them when they say they've had five years to prepare for this battle. jpost reported that HB was firing Katyushas from houses with removable roofs, and that the IAF had destroyed dozens of them. HB is supported by the shia community in L. I don't see Israel "destroying" them. At best disarming them and cutting off their ratline to Iran, which will require action against Syria.
All of these Shia terrorist groups and countries have a poison-pill defence. Iran, Syria, HB have weak militaries that stand no chance against a modern army. The Syrians and Iranians wouldn't be able to defend their countries against US or Israeli attack for very long. Instead they are prepared to wreak destruction against the civilian infrastructure of any attacker. They have missiles, chemical weapons, terrorist attacks, destruction of oil infrastructure, closing the straits of hormuz,etc., that they will use against the attacker's civilians. This is the danger to Israel and to the US if it attacks Iran; not that they can beat us in war, but that they will make it very costly for us.
"What is so unexpected is that Israel has siezed the strategic initiative. "
---
Given cross border adventures, missiles raining down, even on Haifa, anything else would have been foolish in the extreme, even for a liberal and a commie.
Pyrthroes is talking about Bush's failute to veto the farm bill.
utopia:
Yoni says the reserve call ups are large enough for them to go to war, which is what he expects.
Pyrthroes is talking about Bush's failute to veto McCain Feingold.
...we could keep this up for hours.
Exceeded only by his failure nay REFUSAL to enforce the immigration laws already in place.
...and appointing another crony loser affirmative action boy, Alberto Gonzales as AG.
The Washington Post reported (on December 18, 2002) that then-Solicitor General Ted Olson was overruled by White House counsel Alberto Gonzales on how the Bush administration would handle the question of “diversity” as a constitutional issue. Olsen wanted to argue that the Constitution forbids racial preferences to achieve diversity on campus. Gonzales, however, insisted that the administration duck the constitutional question and say that the University of Michigan should have used race-neutral means to achieve diversity instead of preferences.
Remember what happened in those two Michigan cases?
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote a muddled, politically correct, split-the-baby opinion in which she endorsed the use of racial preferences in university admissions in order to ensure diversity, so long as the thumb on the admissions scales wasn’t too heavy. Conservatives were mightily upset — with the opinion and President Bush.
Edward Blum at Natioal Review =
The Syrian economy has been poorly managed under the leadership of Baby Doc Assad. Here's a link to a short post of mine from January about that issue...it's a brief commentary on a lengthy analysis of a report entitled "The Syrian Economy Under Bashar al-Assad" which is available from MEMRI.
VDH makes it simple for Israel:
"More Rubble, Less Trouble!"
I don't think Syria is bluffing. I think Syria will seek all-out victory in the Golan.
Syria came very close to winning the Yom Kippur War. Syria only lost because a certain general was too cautious at a key point in the battle for Golan. So, Bashar Assad probably thinks he can win now if his troops throw caution to the wind.
Mr. Assad probably thinks he has a win-win situation. If Israel doesn't take his troop buildup seriously, he can send his troops en masse into Israel and quite possibly win. If Syria doesn't win, Mr. Assad still wins legitimacy for his kingdom -- especially if he can trick the Security Council into telling Israel to get out of Golan with no concessions given up by him.
Mr. Assad is waging this war because he thinks he can win.
Alexis found the Crack!
If Mr Assad choses as you think he may, he has a variety of choices:
He can live without roads.
Without lights.
or
Lights Out, Period.
Game Over.
Bad Week for the Presidency & Constitution
07/13 11:34 PM
I must reluctantly congratulate the New York Times.
Its illegal disclosure of the NSA intercept program has apparently had the intended result.
Within a day of the administration's announcement that it would abruptly reverse course and apply the Geneva Conventions to unlawful enemy combatants (that is, al-Qaeda terrorists), wrongly pointing to the Hamdan decision for justification,
now it has reversed course on the extent of presidential authority re intercepting enemy communications.
Here .
Some will try to spin this as no retreat, or not a complete retreat, or an inevitable outcome, or whatever. I choose not to do so.
It's pretty bad.
Who would have thought that 9/11 would arguably result in a greater weakening of executive power than Watergate?
Oh, and a special thanks to Arlen Specter, too.
He has been working overtime to gut the commander-in-chief's authority to defend the country.
(And GWB worked to get Arlen elected over a Conservative: Whata Guy!)
...what a loser.
CBS's take of Israel's strategy:
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, telling reporters that it is important for Israel to exercise restraint, demanded that Syria pressure Hezbollah to stop the attacks on Israel.
Israel believes it is already exercising restraint. "Despite the dramatic pictures we are seeing on our television screens, the Israeli command insists it is not going full throttle in Lebanon and does not intend to," reports CBS News 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon. "The objective, Israeli officers say, is to weaken Hezbollah on the ground in south Lebanon, and to pave the way for the government in Beirut to send the Lebanese army down to take its place."
"Some of the pictures we do see," Simon continues, "illustrate the Israeli strategy - the bombing of the Beirut airport, the destruction of bridges. The Israelis want to cut off the supply routes to Syria. There is no Ho Chi Minh trail [the key supply route for enemy fighters in the Vietnam War] in this part of the world and if the air routes and the roads are closed, the Israelis say they will be able to isolate Hezbollah and destroy as many rocket launchers, garrisons and fighting units as possible."
The Israeli command is speaking of an operation that will last somewhere between one and two weeks. "The government of Lebanon, the United Nations and other powers may call for a ceasefire but the Israelis will not accept a ceasefire, officers say, until it has achieved its military objectives," Simon adds. "The Israelis say they hope that they will be able to do this without calling up the reserves and without a major incursion into Lebanon by ground forces."
Israel has hit hundreds of targets in Lebanon, including airports, and army bases to put pressure on the government and force Hezbollah to free two Israeli soldiers the guerrillas captured Wednesday.
> The objective, Israeli officers say, is to weaken Hezbollah on the ground in south Lebanon, and to pave the way for the government in Beirut to send the Lebanese army down to take its place."
Degrading Hezbollah's forces is a good idea. The problem comes next. Israel doesn't want to go back into Lebanon and occupy it, yet they expect the Lebanese government to do the same thing. The problem will not be raw military force, but the terrorism that we are seeing in Iraq, and that Israel and the Lebanese government have been hit by in the past from Hezbollah / Syria. (Like their assassination by massive car bomb of the Lebanese anti-Syrian leader.)
Besides the military support, truly getting rid of Hezbollah would require a local counter terrorist group, men in South Lebanon who would match Hezbollah killing for killing, car bombing for car bombing. I don't know if they exist.
No mas
The Syrian ambassador to London, in an interview with the BBC, called on Hizbullah to stop firing missiles at Israel.
"Syria is not interested in joining the battle," the ambassador said.
He also asked Hizbullah to come to an arrangement that would include exchanging prisoners.
They are going to kill Hezbollah because Hezbollah needs killin'.
If Lebanon's Cedar thing loosened the Syrian bonds, a great way for a government recently mostly liberated would be to actually send its army in to achieve a monopoly of force - read Michal J. Totten's coverage to get a sense of what Southern Lebanon is like. It is Hezbollahland. It is not Lebanon. It is a terror colony. It must be destroyed, sooner or later, in any case, either by Israel, Lebanon, or the Ever-Victorious USAF when it comes to subsequent rounds of the Pseudocaliphate Wars. Even the governments in the region not in the Syria-Iran axis know this. And they all know the USA is not "bogged down" nearly enough to prevent it from deciding any conflict between them and an Israel aflame with righteous anger. Everyone knows we're not there to steal oil; everyone knows this is a just conflict between as Israel that would rather pursue gradual peace and cadres of psychotic Islamo-romantics who threaten all their regimes.
And etc.
Sit back, support Israel, and pass that bucket of Sierra Nevada.
The 24th annual Bulwyr-Lytton bad writing contest awarded this paragraph the runner-up prize:
“I know what you’re thinking, punk,” hissed Wordy Harry to his new editor, “you’re thinking, ‘Did he use six superfluous adjectives or only five?’ - and to tell the truth, I forgot myself in all this excitement; but being as this is English, the most powerful language in the world, whose subtle nuances will blow your head clean off, you’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel loquacious?’ - well do you, punk?”
http://www2.sjsu.edu/depts/english/2006.htm
Charles, that's actually pretty good. (Laughing.)
A bombing at a Sunni mosaque and a motar attack against a Shia nerighborhood have ended the "24 hour lull" in the fighting in Iraq.
Not the same quality video image as the fuel burning at the Bierut airport, though.
no mas? why give 'em a choice?
No advantage to that.
> no mas? why give 'em a choice?
Syria said no mas
> Syria is not interested in joining the battle
Like I said, why give 'em the choice?
Take the battle to 'em.
It is not going to happen, though, unless the Syrians cross back into Lebanon.
I've seen no reports of any large ground incursions into Lebanon by Israel. Just airstrikes and the blockade.
So the Syrians and their sponsor will be able to declare victory, when the airstrikes end.
Held the Israelis at bay, they will have done.
As you note, w.w., no amount of "Hezbollah combantant" deaths will defang it. The sea must be drained, and then restocked.
Not going to be happening with this salvo.
> to get a sense of what Southern Lebanon is like. It is Hezbollahland
That's the point. it means that a little bit of bombing isn't going to get rid of Hezbollah because the people support it. It will just drive them underground, along with their weapons. If the Lebanese Army comes south, civil war will break out again like Lebanon in the past or Iraq now.
washingtonpost.com
Given the country's sectarian divisions, politics often have to work by consensus. Because Hezbollah is the most powerful representative of Shiites, Lebanon's government could not think of alienating such a crucial constituency. Since the fighting began, officials have gone to great lengths to guarantee at least a public show of unity. And even critics such as Jumblatt say the prospect of the group's disarmament -- a requirement under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 -- is almost impossible.
"We don't have the means to disarm Hezbollah, and we don't want to have a civil war here," he said.
Since the fighting erupted, opinions have broken along largely sectarian lines. Hezbollah's supporters in south Beirut and southern Lebanon greeted the attack with jubilation: Residents near a destroyed bridge handed out free orange juice to passersby, women threw rice on cars, and motorists careered through the streets flying the group's yellow banner.
Hezbollah's ideology merges Arab nationalism, Islamic revivalism and a powerful historical narrative of Shiite disenfranchisement, which is especially pronounced in Lebanon, where Shiites were once casually referred to as the deprived. Along the rocky wadis, or dry riverbeds, of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah's celebration of Shiite empowerment is often hailed by the group's most loyal supporters, sometimes more so than its schools, clinics, hospitals, orphanages and foundations for families of its slain fighters.
"They consider Hezbollah terrorist. We consider it sacred. We consider it and its weapons sacred," said Mohammed Awadeh, a 27-year-old shopping in a stationery store in the southern town of Nabatiyeh.
On the road there, as in the southern suburbs, banners pronounced the theme: "The weapons which liberated our land are sacred weapons." Another banner: "With the resistance, we liberate our land. With the resistance, we protect ourselves."
For those that are not yet disabused of the diplomatic course we stay, there is this from Mr Putin.
"...On North Korea, Putin said that, since Pyongyang was not "party to international agreements which limit activities in those spheres" - that is, building nuclear warheads and missiles to deliver them - there are no grounds for sanctions. "They are right whether we like it or not," Putin emphasized. All he wants is for North Korea to inform the world community of the time and place of future tests as part of a "normal" pattern of behavior.
The Russian president was even more forthright on the Iranian nuclear crisis. He said Iran had full legal right to "all aspects of nuclear technology." He also dismissed U.S. and European calls for Iran to respond before the G-8 summit to the latest offer by the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany. Instead, he said he'd wait for Tehran's answer until late August, as Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has demanded. ..."
The Cossacks ride again!
When are civilians not civilians, w.w.?
When the guerilla fish are so embedded in the civilian school, that they cannot be differentiated, do they all become civilians or do they all become terrorists or Hamadan qualified combatants?
If the enemy wears no uniform, and free fire zones are publicly declared, is not anyone in the Zone to be considered a combantant?
The Bush Doctrine
Those that support terrorists are considered terrorists.
Except in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Eygpt, Gaza and Lebanon.
Those places where the Terrorist concentrate, where they are the State.
Fancy that.
I think we can stipulate we want Hezbollah dead. but how do you do it? Occupation is not easy. To be successful, it must be very brutal. From a practical standpoint, it should be done by another faction in Lebanon, and that is a civil war. No person with any nationalist feelings, which by definition would always be a majority, will accept Israel destroying their infrastructure and airport. An international airport is a national icon. Our Trade Towers were as well and their destruction did not win the Arabs many US friends. Hezbollah is an integral part of southern Lebanon. Extracting them will not be easy and the MSM and world opinion will get vicious fast.
The Iranians have been very deft in their use of surrogates in its war against Israel. They have payed no price for it, in fact they profit from it. The sanctimonious Jimmy Carter cautioned the Iranian military not to apply a Coup d'État against the outgoing shah. That cost them their lives. Israel is now receiving the Iranian dividend. Iran will have to be repaid. Destroying Hezbollah is a practical impossibility without dealing with Iran. China and Russia will be no help. The practical solution is a NATO response. There would have to be a NATO operation, with a heavy Turkish component, to create a neutral zone and disarm Hezbollah and the creation of a credible Lebanese military. The alternative is hell.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I dont think it would be too far fetched to expect a Hizzy attack on US assets/staff in Lebanon this weekend.
A NATO operation would also give the Iranians notice that their ideas on expansion will not be tolerated. It would be incremental enough to be attractive to the EU.
I hesitated to bring this up as it is OT but I have felt for a long time that NATO membership is the only real long term solution for Israeli security. Sometime it would be interesting to have our host consider this as a topic.
Or Paris, London, Madrid, Bombay, New York or Washington DC, joe.
All places where the Mohameddan have already struck since the War began.
So the cells & infrastructure exist in all those locales, and more.
If US assets are struck in Lebanon, it's a local affair, but if US assts are struck elsewhere, that would be considered localized as well. Not a War of International scope, per Hamadan.
Leads me to think this Lebanonese episode is but a prelude, to the big show.
As this Washington Times article, 20 May 05, there were at least ten US cities with active Hezbolah cells, that were known.
No telling how many were operating under the radar.
This article Should Hezbollah Be Next?, "Foreign Affair" Nov '03.
illustrates the challenge, as well.
If they are all idle, worldwide, the war has yet to really begun.
How about NATO without France?
Well, there were those two strikes in Nigeria. Those are not oft discussed by the TV talking heads.
It seems "they" do not want people to even see those dots. Damned MSM.
Or is it that the Federals are downplaying those attacks, as well. Mutual assured ignorance, if we do not discuss it, it's not really there.
The height of hubris.
Perhaps you are right DR. Kinda makes me wish that I hadnt used that Y2K fuel for the cutting of grass...upside is that the only ammo expended was used for the confirmation of zero. Habu_1 must be sigthing in also as I hav'nt seen him in this comment box.Scott and harrison both appear to possess unclouded vision, BTW.
It’s clear that Iran is orchestrating the battle. What isn’t clear is if it is the first steps of an all-out war in which they intend to be fully mobilized or if they are just testing the waters. I suspect it is the latter.
Of course, if they miscalculate they’ll have the war before they’ve finished work on their nuclear bombs. I suspect Iran will back down and go back to work on the bombs.
Some of the Lebanonese would welcome the French, to others it would indicate a return to Colonial times, and be cause to fight. Same with the Turks.
I'd bet you'd duplicate jp's Iraq poll results within a month, with or without the French.
w.w. is right about the insurgency that would spring up. Unless the Syrian sanctuary was closed to Hezbollah. Then they could be hunted down, as others have been in Syria & Iraq.
Whether using the Hama, Fallujah II, or Tal Afar model of pacification.
I am not sure the French would resist being a part of an operation that is limited to creating a neutral buffer zone and the disarming of Hezbollah. A strong national Lebanese military force would be in everyone's interest. There has been a vacuum of strong central leadership in Lebanon and it was filled by Syria. This is an opportunity to sieze the initiative and correct that problem. This is a monumental diplomatic challenge.
Terrorism Exported
reviewed by LCDR Youssef Aboul-Enein, USN
LIGHTNING OUT OF LEBANON: Hezbollah Terrorists on American Soil. By Barbara Newman and Tom Diaz.
Reviewed in the Marine Corps Gazette
Vatican condemns Israel for attacks on Lebanon
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Friday strongly deplored Israel's strikes on Lebanon, saying they were "an attack" on a sovereign and free nation.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano said Pope Benedict and his aides were very worried that the developments in the Middle East risked degenerating into "a conflict with international repercussions."
"In particular, the Holy See deplores right now the attack on Lebanon, a free and sovereign nation, and assures its closeness to these people who already have suffered so much to defend their independence," he told Vatican Radio.
Request denied: Hezbollah and friends have been hoping that Bush would tell Israel to stop. No way.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora called on President Bush and other world leaders to press Israel to halt the attacks.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said Friday that Bush declined Siniora's request, adding: "The president is not going to make military decisions for Israel," Reuters reported.
Bush "believes the Israelis have the right to protect themselves and that in doing that they should limit as much as possible so-called collateral damage not only to facilities but also to human lives", Snow said, according to Reuters.
That Vatican remark is incredibly bad. Most of those who hate Israel usually hide behind "disproportionate" or some other excuse. What the Vatican said doesn't even make sense, as if a state cannot respond to an act of war by another state.
South Lebanon would be Iraq, writ small.
Either all cross border traffic to Syria & Iran (10,000 tourists a month, this year) would have to be blockaded, or you'd just have another continueous insurrection, as in Iraq.
There is no local fix.
It is, and always has been a Regional War, that the Mohammedans have taken Global. We are now actively engaged in a Regional Conflict where we will not cross borders to engage the Enemy.
In that regard it is reflective of Indochina.
2164,
I think you are on the right track with your idea about Israel and NATO, but I don't think NATO would be the right organization. I think that there should be something new along the general lines of NATO, including Japan, Australia, probably India, etc. It would not have the baggage that NATO carries with it.
How many divisions does the Pope have?
War, war and more war. We are not bogged down in Iraq any more than the Syrians are bogged down in Syria. Get the fuck already, target and bomb something.
Unless of course Anthony Cordesman, the weeping girl, has anything to say about it, or perhaps Trish, Superspook - then we ought all get some lemonade and stick our fingers in our bellybuttons to see how they smell. Yummy. Dumbfucks.
I'll just never be able to trust France
France condemned Israel's offensive in Lebanon on Friday...
French President Jacques Chirac said in a television interview: "One can ask oneself whether there isn't a sort of desire to destroy Lebanon.
"I find, honestly, like most Europeans, that the reactions are completely disproportionate."
and what Chirac was thinking:
"I don't understand why Israel didn't just surrender, like we in France would have done."
C4, cheer up. I know you are a little down because it won't be long before you no longer have poor old GWB, to bash, but there will be another one. You have even convinced a few of us that he has indeed lost his marbles (maybe, its the immigration thing).
No, the only thing you have to fear is a Democrat getting in and lo! You won't be able to tell the difference without the MSM telling you all is well. As a respected member of the Belmont Club you probably have difficulty swallowing their crap when it praises all you spent 6 or 7 years squauking about, but you will no doubt make do.
Agree that a NATO that includes France has just as much respect and gravitas as a UN that includes its current Council on Human Rights.
We need a neo-NATO that excludes France and includes India, Japan and Israel
That Organization would be the "Coalition of the Willing", which but for reasons to numerous to mention dies not contain the countries deemed important.
Seems you all leave Pakistan off the list, Qatur, UAE all of the US's other earnstwhile allies.
There does not seem to be an Islamic country on any of the proposed lists. Except for an early mention of Turkey, to police Lebanon, the Ottoman's return.
Our allies in Iraq can send some troops as well, there would be positive repercussions from that, no?
Pakistani, Turksih and Iraqi forces to garrison south Lebanon for an inital five year commitment.
That could have "some" chance of success.
washtimes.com
Israel's ambassador to Washington said yesterday that Iran and Syria are "playing with fire" and "will bear the consequences" if Hezbollah transfers two kidnapped Israeli soldiers to either of its patron nations.
Ambassador Daniel Ayalon did not rule out retaliatory strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, though other Israeli officials said that was not being planned.
Fears mounted that Israel's military offensive against southern Lebanon could spread to other countries after Israeli officials said yesterday they had received indications that Hezbollah was trying to move two captive Israeli soldiers to Iran.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack also expressed concern that the soldiers could be moved out of Lebanon.
Palestinians blow big hole in Egyptian-Gaza border fence. Hundreds of stranded Gazans streaming into Gaza from Egypt. Rats swimming to stinking, sinking ship. Not even a greenhouse for veggies there. I'd try to stay in Egypt, but what do I know.
They ride to the sounds of the guns
It is the "stategic corporal" concept of the Marines
There, with the glorious general's name,
Be it said, in letters both bold and bright:
"Here is the steed that saved the day
By carrying Sheridan into the fight,
From Winchester--twenty miles away!"
"Sheridan's Ride"
The brave and rightous do not flee the fight. They do not see themselves as rats, but as Sheridans, one and all.
Riding to the sound of the guns
Wretchard,
"Next 48 hours time will tell"
Over halfway to your 48 hours -
- Mo missiles, Hezbo seems to be keeping the big ones underground all 100 of 'em, Syria massing on the Golan, Iran Theatens in order to "protect" Baby Assad and other Damascus Proxies.
Tempo's kind of slowed down don't you think ?
No major ground Incursions yet ? So is this hunt & shoot with hellfire missiles for Hezbollah Perps ?
What good is THAT other than keeping Hezbollah perps in their holes in Beruit ? IAF is way ahead in the small UAV business but really, don't ground troops do the real work of finding missile caches ?
Or is this just the warm up ? To something really big -- including Mullahs gassing up their missiles at the VX plant ?
Fred's 6:44 post in the first sentence succinctly states my prior position .. Putin is a snake in the grass.
So far a vast majority of the posts have focused on which ME faction holds the high cards and how they'll play them. I do not feel any equation in this ME le gande kerfuffel is complete without including the former KGB leader.
When the Soviet Union morphed into Russia the 600,000 KGB/GRU personnel didn't turn into kiosk sunglass merchants. Putin wants to be a player, has vast monetary interests in the ME, vast psychological investment in manipulation of the West (read USA) and has shown every indication of taking the Soviet road. I'd enjoy hearing thoughts on this as opposed to news updates on what Fox and CNN have just reported.
Start at 6:45 habu,
Then the October summit in Havana.
The timeline to war reads November, to me, still.
These drums are just settin' the tempo.
MOSCOW, Aug 21, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse
) Russia is "the guardian of Christianity,"
President Vladimir Putin said Monday, following a visit to a monastery in the Solovki islands, in the White sea, Russian agencies reported.
Recalling that his country was traditionally known as "Saint Russia," Putin said the "country is bestowed with a special role as the guardian of Christianity."
Without the Orthodox religion, "Russia would have difficulty in becoming a viable state. It is thus very important to return to this source," said the former head of the KGB -- which massively persecuted the clergy and faithful during the Soviet era.
But Russian leaders have once again given prominence to the Orthodox church, after decades in which atheism was imposed by the Communist rulers.
DR
Thx must move to trifocals next.
Habu_1
First China, then Russia;
China has sold their Veto to the Mullahs and the Norks. China wants the oil and raw materials to keep flowing, (biggest suppliear of weapons and Oil know how to Sudan) China is even now urging the U.S. to end the Banking Freeze in Macau so the Norks can pick up conterfieting super bills (U.S.) where they left off. Interestingly, China looks for the long term oil supply and is undercutting Russia in the Cheap Arms markets.
With China's guaranteed Veto, Russia gets to play diplomat to do the same old "War by Proxies" to keep the U.S. tied down, spent down, and on the defensive in the WOT. War is good for Russia ... they have always been the world's largest oil exporter, 3x's Saudi Arabia, then arms exporter. So war means HIGH PRICES, business gets really good, same for their client state, the Mad Mullahs.
Btw -- it was crude, inferior oil recovery technology that caused the old Soviets to lose the oil cash flow as their shallow wells dwindled, and therefore couldn't pay for their military, combined with poorly planned executed "perestroika", and a Russian Penchant for organized crime, thus collapse.
Putin has Western drilling and recovery Technology now so the oil flows & flows.
Putin may be rebuilding his financial stocks this round, they're reviving some of their Navy with it.
Russian Dreams of empire never end.
As you Noted, Putin is still heavily invested in Client State Iran, Syria, other arms purchasers and geopolitical influence for sale peddlers (Hugo Chavez). Russia's been up to their necks in the Iranian Nuke program since 1979...http://www.thebulletin.org/article.php?art_ofn=mj04boureston
What Russia gets out of a Nuclear Iran Long term ? I don't know yet... other than they both share a vision that they could survivie a nuclear attack and still deliver the final death blow in return. Russia has been training Civlilian populations to evacuate cities and survive for 50 years. For Iran this kind of war is still a Persion Perfumed Fantasy, but the Ruling thugoccracy thirsts for it.
I think hitting Damascus with ongoing asassination airstrikes by the Israelis would force a lot of hands in the short run, Humiliate the Mullahs as impotent, alarm Putin, Wen Jiabao et al. rattle some cages, (tho it's high risk with Syrian VX missiles close by).
It would cause a retrenching of diplomatic attack on us in the Short Run and more attempts at Putin Triangulating against us with the Fwench and the Club of Thugs & Dictators, the U.N.
Militarily, Economically, Culturally, we're in a new 100 years war with the Islamists, this will go on for decades till someone launches the VX warheads then the nukes on open cities.
Prepare accordingly.
Putin's Russia
From 2001 'til now, the Academies are opened, the revival of the guardian of Christianity, begun.
Cossacks ride for Mother Russia!
Somewhere--in Dostievsky, I think--there's this statement as to how in Russia, lacking Christ, there would be nothing but wickedness. Russia the guardian of Christianity? Ah, come on Vlad, maybe the reverse is more accurate. If Bush is gazing into Putty's eyes again today, I'm diving under the kitchen table like the last time there was gazing.
DR
Do you have a site? I enjoy your sang-froid under fire.
Friedman from Stratfor on Rush:
Israel will be condemned no matter what, might as well get job at least half-done, instead of half-a.....
---
Concerns about hostages:
25,000 Americans in Lebanon!
Habu_1
correction, addenda
Schooling Iran's Atom Squad
It's about IRAQ:
Hizbollah is the new Sheriff in town now that Al Queda is down.
(USA now has several things to keep busy with: That's why Friedman thinks we are glad to have ISRAEL take down Hizbollah)
Yesterdays news:
We lead the Worldwide Islamic terror brigades.
"Al Queda is now Yesterdays news:
We lead the Worldwide Islamic terror brigades. "
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said Friday that Hezbollah has rockets that can reach as much as 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) or more, an admission that brings more major cities within their range.
Now that Israel destroyed their headquarters, Hezbollah says it is "all-out war". They've launched over 300 missiles so far. The thing they've mostly been holding back is the long range ones, perhaps because the UN Security Council is meeting now.
The main question is whether anyone is Lebanon will turn on them, especially in the South, providing targeting information to Israel if nothing else.
It would seem that this might be good time for the Lebanese government, such as it is,to show it was against this kind of behaviour by starting to round up senior [or any of them it can lay its hands on] Hezbollah / Hamas folks lurking about, and putting them up against the nearst wall, or at least jailing them in solitary. It would be a small test of sincerity methinks.
Alan
"It is, and always has been a Regional War, that the Mohammedans have taken Global. We are now actively engaged in a Regional Conflict where we will not cross borders to engage the Enemy."
---
Does 'Rat work for Stratfor?
---
Friedmann figures now is the time to show Iran's weakness by taking down Hizbollah, but it could get TOUGH:
do we have the will if there are hostages, as the MSM shows dying babies and etc?
(all the dead Israeli Civilians from terrorism in past don't count, of course)
---
Insanity:
Vatican (AND EUROS) condemns Israel for attacks on Lebanon...
Hezbollah fires 300+ rockets at Israeli towns...
---
Pray for Sanity:
Olmert:
Israel will stop when Hizbullah disarms...
Israel destroys Hizbullah headquarters in Beirut...
Israel has done what any sovereign would do: it has declared the violation of its territorial integrity an act of war by its neighbor and acted accordingly. Indeed, given the provocation, Israel has behaved with almost foolish restraint. So, why the Vatican’s condemnation? See: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BORDER_GUNFIRE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US
“Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino said 200 to 300 shots were fired from automatic weapons Wednesday night, but no one was injured on the U.S. side and police didn't fire back.”
"There is no doubt about one thing, that we were shot at from the Mexican side,"
"This type of incident is a very good example of why I will not allow my deputies to patrol the river banks or the levees anywhere close to the river,"
Oh, the Vatican also supports unlimited, illegal immigration into the United States from Mexico. Well, at least the Vatican is consistently foolish.
Alan 1:07 AM
" might be good time for the Lebanese government, such as it is,to show it was against this kind of behaviour"
Sorry, the WORLD COMMUNITY does not hold THE AXIS Accountable for THEIR Actions.
The 6:45 came from
Amir Taheri writing in the NY Post.
PUTIN TO AMERICA: NO DICE
ZERO HELP VS. ROGUE REGIMES
A World W/O Borders:
"We are the World.
we are the (starving) Children."
COOL!
The law of war thing has just gotten ridiculous. Originally it was for extreme abuses like the Nazis doing "medical research" on pregnant prisoners. But now it is just a political tool countries use to try to defeat their enemies.
Whenever there's a conflict, politicians cite the law of war to try to get their enemy to fight with one hand tied behind their back. Or like Hezbollah, they pick a fight with a much bigger kid and then when they start getting their ass kicked they run and try to hide behind the UN.
Privately a lot of the people in the Lebanese government say they're happy with what Israel is doing. They don't have the strength to do what Israel is.
Why talk? It's time to KILL THEM ALL! (God will sort them out)
George M Weinert V
http://americanjihad.blogspot.com/
This sounds too bizarre to be true. I wonder if Hezbollah was so embarrassed that they made this up.
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in a dramatic phone call to Hizbollah's TV station said an Israeli navy vessel was burning off Beirut and would sink.
Just be honest ISLAM MEANS MURDER
This is the "Holy" Muslim Prophet Mohammed - from his Muslim mauraders in 7th century Arabia:
Bukhari:V4B52N270 "Allah's Messenger said, 'Who is ready to kill Ashraf? He has
said injurious things about Allah and His Apostle.' Maslama got up saying,
'Would you like me to kill him?' The Prophet proclaimed, 'Yes.' Maslama said,
'Then allow me to lie so that I will be able to deceive him.' Muhammad said,
'You may do so.'"
Ishaq:368 "Ka'b's body was left prostrate [humbled in submission]. After his
fall, all of the Nadir Jews were brought low. Sword in hand we cut him down. By
Muhammad's order we were sent secretly by night. Brother killing brother. We
lured him to his death with guile [cunning or deviousness]. Traveling by night,
bold as lions, we went into his home. We made him taste death with our deadly
swords. We sought victory for the religion of the Prophet."
Tabari VII:97/Ishaq:368 "We carried Ka'b's head and brought it to Muhammad
during the night. We saluted him as he stood praying and told him that we had
slain Allah's enemy. When he came out to us we cast Ashraf's head before his
feet. The Prophet praised Allah that the poet had been assassinated and
complimented us on the good work we had done in Allah's Cause. Our attack upon
Allah's enemy cast terror among the Jews, and there was no Jew in Medina who did
not fear for his life.'"
Tabari VII:97 "The morning after the murder of Ashraf, the Prophet declared,
'Kill any Jew who falls under your power.'"
Ishaq:369 "Thereupon Mas'ud leapt upon Sunayna, one of the Jewish merchants with
whom his family had social and commercial relations and killed him. The Muslim's
brother complained, saying, 'Why did you kill him? You have much fat in you
belly from his charity.' Mas'ud answered, 'By Allah, had Muhammad ordered me to
murder you, my brother, I would have cut off your head.' Wherein the brother
said, 'Any religion that can bring you to this is indeed wonderful!' And he
accepted Islam."
Bukhari:V1B1N6 "Just issue orders to kill every Jew in the country."
Ishaq: 676 "'You obey a stranger who encourages you to murder for booty. You are
greedy men. Is there no honor among you?' Upon hearing those lines Muhammad
said, 'Will no one rid me of this woman?' Umayr, a zealous Muslim, decided to
execute the Prophet's wishes. That very night he crept into the writer's home
while she lay sleeping surrounded by her young children. There was one at her
breast. Umayr removed the suckling babe and then plunged his sword into the
poet. The next morning in the mosque, Muhammad, who was aware of the
assassination, said, 'You have helped Allah and His Apostle.' Umayr said. 'She
had five sons; should I feel guilty?' 'No,' the Prophet answered. 'Killing her
was as meaningless as two goats butting heads.'"
Tabari VIII:179/Ishaq:550 "Among those who Muhammad ordered killed was Abdallah
bin Khatal. The Messenger ordered him to be slain because while he was a Muslim,
Muhammad had sent him to collect the zakat tax with an Ansar and a slave of
his.... His girls used to sing a satire about Muhammad so the Prophet ordered
that they should be killed along with Abdullah. He was killed by Sa'id and Abu
Barzah. The two shared in his blood. One of the singing girls was killed quickly
but the other fled. So Umar caused his horse to trample the one who fled,
killing her."
Ishaq:551 "Another victim was Huwayrith. He used to insult Muhammad in Mecca.
Huwayrith was put to death by Ali. The Messenger ordered Miqyas' assassination
only because he had killed an Ansar who had killed his brother by mistake and
then became a renegade by rejecting Islam."
Tabari VIII:180 "Also among those eliminated were Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl and
Sarah, a slave of one of Abd Muttalib's sons. She taunted Muhammad while he was
in Mecca."
Tabari VIII:181 "The Messenger ordered six men and four women to be
assassinated. One of these women was Hind, who swore allegiance and became a
Muslim."
Terror is endemic to Islam - the Muslims rely on TERROR for their very survival.
it sounds a lot like the daiy news from Iraq and Afghanistan does it not?
This is what the Muslim "Holy" Book actually Teaches:
Koran 9:29
Fight those who do not profess the true faith (Islam) till they pay the jiziya (poll tax) with the hand of humility.
So here Prophet Mohammed is instructing a true Muslim to fight people of other religions until the unbelievers debase themselves and pay tax for their existence. So the greatness of Islam is revealed only when followers of other religions are humiliated. (note - this is tantamount to theologically sanctioned blackmail)
Koran 8:12
Remember Thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): "I am with you: give firmness to the believers, I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers, Smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger tips of them." ?
Here Mohammed is giving step by step instruction on how to torture and kill Kafirs (all non-Muslims) if they don't follow Islam. (a truly loving and imminently peaceful religion) Note carefully the reference to "Terror" - this text dates from the late 7th century.
Koran 9:5
"Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolators wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."
In the above verse Prophet Mohammed is clearly instructing his followers to kill the idolators in any brutal way possible until the idolators submit themselves to Islam. Allah is indeed merciful !! (and incredibly cruel) Koran 9:5 is widely used by all Islamic Terrorist groups as a God given justification for murder.
Koran 9:73
Prophet, make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal rigorously with them. Hell shall be their Home: an evil fate.
Here Mohammed is trying to justify his brutal acts. He conveniently claims divine justification for the expression of his hatred by saying Allah himself revealed to him personally that people of other religions are evil and belong in Hell. Therefore, according to Mohammed any barbaric act against the unbelievers is completely justified. (appealing to the barbaric nature inherent in the Bedouin tribes that were vital to the early successes and remarkable spread of Islam)
Koran 4:144
Believers, do not choose the unbelievers rather than the faithful as your friends. Would you give Allah a clear proof against yourselves?
This verse clearly states that a Muslim can only befriend a Muslim. Mohammed in order to ensure that his followers will not befriend and become influenced by people of other religions, revealed this verse. This verse illustrates that if a Muslim befriends a Non-Muslim than the wrath of Allah will be on him. Therefore in Islam, people of other religions should be treated with contempt, disrespect and cruelty. (this ensures a closed theocracy and religious totalitarianism)
This verse also closely aligns with the intrinsically Homogenous nature of the primitive consanguineous Arabs and cleverly uses this specialized argot to appeal to their child-like view of the world around them - a world view still largely present in many groups of the Middle East of 2004.
Koran 47:4
When you meet the unbelievers in the Jihad strike off their heads and, when you have laid them low, bind your captives firmly. Then grant them their freedom or take ransom from them, until War shall lay down her burdens.
In the above verse, Mohammed is giving detailed instruction about how to maim and torture unbelievers in Jihad. And finally when the Muslims are satisfied enough after torturing and maiming the unbelievers, they should proceed to demand ransom for the captives, carefully maintaining the paradigm of theft in the name of God and once more Mo finds a way to extort money along the way - always appealing to the ontological dishonesty of the Arabic tribal psyche.
. All for the sake for all-merciful (and obviously very rich) Allah !!
(we are witnessing this phenomena almost daily in Iraq with kidnapping for ransom though the Press does not even report it)
(Koran 5:33-34
The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet and alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom; Save those who repent before ye overpower them. For know that Allah is Forgiving, merciful.
In this verse, Mohammed devises another recipe for torturing unbelievers. This particular recipe involves chopping off alternate limbs and expelling the Kafirs (people following other religions) out of the land. A quite forgiving and most certainly merciful method of proselytizing, is it not?
Instructions to Muslims regarding Christians and Jews
Prophet Mohammed has reserved special position for certain sects of Unbelievers in his so called "Holy Book" Koran. Those unbelievers are none other than followers of Christianity and Judaism. I have selected a few verses from the "Holy" Koran to display what Muslims are taught and instructed as far as the treatment of Christians and Jews (People of the Book)is concerned.
Koran 5:51
Believers, take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends. They are friends with one another. Whoever of you seeks their friendship shall become one of their number. Allah does not guide the wrong-doers.
In this verse Prophet Mohammed is clearly instructing his followers never to befriend a Christian or a Jew. Because if they take a Christian or a Jew as a friend, they will commit a wrong deed and Allah's wrath will be on them. (Thereby ensuring that all social interaction and ideas are rigidly controlled by only properly sanctioned "Islamic" means and also carefully exploiting the natural tribal identify and constant fear of the normally illiterate and always criminal desert nomad)
Koran 5:57
Believers, do not seek the friendship of the infidels and those who were given the Book before you, who have made your religion a jest and a pasttime...
Here "those who were given the Book before you" refers to Christians and Jews. Once again Mohammed is warning Muslims of all time never to befriend a Christian or a Jew. (but Mo neglects to comment on WHY "The Book" was given to Jews and then Christians before his cave visions arrived - often accompanied by epileptic seizures - yes, the Holy Prophet was an epileptic)
Koran 5:64
The Jews say: 'God's hand is chained.' May their own hands be chained! May they be cursed for what they say!...
In the above verse Prophet Mohammed is showing his deep respect for the Jews.
(Mo does not believe in 'freedom of speech or ideas' and does everything possible to discourage it amongst his disciples). This atmosphere of the rigid control of ideas is continued well on into today in the Arab Press and particularly at Internet Web Sites operated by Muslims and their allies - these verses are also used as a reason for the "Fatwas" that demand death for "Blasphemy" such as the notorious ruling on Simon Ruthsie's "Satanic Verses" which earned him a DEATH SENTENCE that was issued by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini.
Koran 9:29
Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last day, nor hold the forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and his messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth from among the People of the Book, until they pay the Jiziyah with willing submission. And feel themselves subdued.
Here 'People of the Book' refers to Christians and Jews. The 'Religion Of Truth' refers to Islam. So in the above verse Prophet Mohammed is instructing Muslims to fight and torture Christians and Jews (who do not believe in Islamic version of God) until they pay tax to Muslims for their existence. Muslims are also strictly instructed to make the Christians and Jews feel 'subdued'. Allah is truly benign !!! (but Mo is a good Arab Bedouin criminal - and repeatedly instructs his followers on how to use blackmail and extortion to fund his new 'religion')
Koran 9:30
The Jews call 'Uzayr-a son of God', and the Christinas call 'Christ the Son Of God'. That is a saying from their mouth; (In this) they but intimate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth.
Here Prophet Mohammed is wishing that Allah's curse be on Jews and Christians. And what did the Christians and Jews do for such special favour from Allah ? All they did is that out of respect and love, they called their Prophets 'son of God'. (but Mo offers only curses for the "People of the Book" who he acknowledges as his theological ancestors)
Islamic Hell and Unbelievers
Now we will enter the Islamic Hell brought into existence by Mohammed's drug induced hallucinations and weird imagination which were apparently exacerbated by his seizures.
Koran 98:1-8
The unbelievers among the People of the Book and the pagans shall burn for ever in the fire of Hell. They are the vilest of all creatures.
Here "People of The Book" refers to Christians and Jews. So according to Prophet Mohammed, Christians, Jews and pagans are the vilest of all creatures in the world. Islam in deed holds a high respect for people of other religions !! It is important in this brief study to carefully note that Mohammed seems VERY ENVIOUS of the "People of The Book" - the Jews who had first codified the Torah (Pentateuch - the first five Books of the Holy Bible in 1,000 BC Under the leadership of Israel's King Solomon. In a salubrious paradigm of medieval politics, Mo utilizes the same "Negative campaign ads" that liberals use today in order to generate a visceral hatred of an idea, (in this case the Jewish Scriptures that were already in existence for over 2,000 years) while urging his listeners (who could not read at all as the Prophet Mohammed(PBUH)) to simply ignore any pre-existent historical realities and accept his claims regarding the 'messages from God' he claimed to be receiving from the Archangel Gabriel.
Koran 22:19-22:23
Garments of fire have been prepared for the unbelievers. Scalding water shall be poured upon their heads, melting their skins and that which is in their bellies. They shall be lashed with rods of iron. Whenever, in their anguish, they try to escape from Hell, back they shall be dragged, and will be told: 'Taste the torment of the Conflagration!'
Here Mohammed has imagined vividly how people of other religions will be punished in Hell. By his sick and disgusting imagination, he is trying to make sure that people of other religions convert to Islam out of sheer terror of Hell. And if this terror doesn't work, then the Muslims are always instructed to convert unbelievers to Islam brutally by force in Jihad. ("Allah" is truly kind and merciful)
Koran 18:28-30
For the wrongdoers We have prepared a fire which will encompass them like the walls of a pavilion. When they cry out for help they shall be showered with water as hot as molten brass, which will scald their faces. Evil shall be their drink, dismal their resting-place.
Who are the "wrong-doers" here ? None other than the people who DO NOT follow Islam. So Prophet Mohammed here continues with his lengthy diatribes and gives the description of Islamic Hell in the form of a revelation. (here we see the signs of what we describe today as "Terrorism" and these verses have become the basis for the twisted ideologies of "Scholars" like Khomeini, Taymiyya, Wahhab, Muhammed Iqbal, Abu al-Mawdudi, al-Ala, Abu al-Hasan, Sayyid Qutb and Malik Bennabi, to name but a few.
Koran 40:67-40:73
Do you not see how those who dispute the revelation of God turn away from the right path ? Those who have denied the Book and the message We sent through Our apostles shall realize the truth hereafter: when, with chains and shackles round their necks, they shall be dragged through scalding water and then burnt in the fire of Hell.
Prophet Mohammed here explains what will happen to those people who choose NOT to follow his revelation the "Holy Qur'ran (Koran)"- a manual that teaches plunder and murder. So for people of other religions following scriptures other than the Qur'ran, Allah has pre-planned punishment. First they shall be dragged through scalding water with chains around their necks and then they will be burnt in the fire of Hell. Allah is truly merciful !! (the punishments described herein are conveniently analogous to the treatment afforded to victims of the Bedouin Raiders whom Mo utilized in the nascent days of his new "religion" to proselytize Islam under pain of Death - transforming the murderous Ghazi Raiders from common criminals into bearers of the Truth of Islam to gain the military support of this band of desert thieves, smugglers and thugs) Mo's earliest "Apostle" was actually his father-in-law, who COULD READ AND WRITE and recorded his 'inspired' recitations over this inspired period. Mo's two brothers, Larry and Curly then proceeded to transmit this vital text throughout the town and convert the native camels.
Koran 43:74
..The unbelievers shall endure forever the torment of Hell. The punishment will never be lightened, and they shall be speechless with despair. We do not wrong, themselves.
Mohammed was not satisfied by just having burnt the unbelievers once in Hell. So here he is saying that the punishment is never-ending and people following other religions will be burnt in Hell forever.
Koran 55:41-52
That is the Hell which the unbelievers deny. They shall wander between fire and water fiercely seething. Which of your Lord's blessing would you deny?
(Mo had a really weird idea of the definition of 'blessings' too)
Koran 76:1-5
For the unbelievers We have prepared chains and fetters and a blazing Fire...
(Mohammed lived in an era where slavery and servitude were commonplace and references to chains and bondage are ubiquitous throughout the Koran - Slavery is still commonly practiced in the Muslim World (Mauritania and the Sudan) today in the 21st century as well)
Koran 73:12
We have in store for the unbelievers heavy fetters and a blazing fire, choking food and harrowing torment: on the day when the earth shall quiver with all its mountains, and the mountains crumble into heaps of shifting sand.
Once again, in the above verses, Mohammed is emphasizing that heavy fetters, choking food and hell fire are in store for the unbelievers while the Muslims enjoy the beautiful virgins and young boys in Islamic Paradise. (In addition to the well known 72 virgins, Muslim males are also promised "young boys pretty as pearls" For their Gay delights in Islamic Heaven)
Koran 77:20-77:50
Woe on that day to the disbelievers! Begone to the Hell which you deny! Depart into the shadow that will rise high in three columns, giving neither shade nor shelter from the flames, and throwing up sparks as huge as towers, as bright as yellow camels...Eat and enjoy yourselves awhile. You are wicked men..."
In the above verse, Prophet Mohammed is making sure that the people of other religions do not get any shade or shelter when they are burnt up in the Islamic Hell. Allah is also revealing to him that all people other than Muslims are basically wicked in nature. (and since during the historical period these words were first written down, 95% of the Arabs that heard this frightening dogma were TOTALLY ILLITERATE they believed it and were bullied and enslaved into a 'proper' acceptance of Islam - which then afforded Mo PHENOMENAL WEALTH and the success he never would have had in any REAL JOB. The American Mafia calls this sort of thing "Juice".
Koran 8:73
The unbelievers give aid and comfort to each other. If you fail to do likewise, there will be disorder in the land and great corruption.
The Great Mohammed divided the Arabian society in two tight compartments: Momins and Kafirs once again relying on the ancient fundamental tenets of tribalism. The word momin means believer in Mohammed and Allah. In contrast a kafir is a non-believer. The momins did not have to be better men than the Kafirs in terms of character or consciousness. Momins had only to recite the Kalima (incantation)- "there is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his Prophet." By doing that the 'momins' become qualified to kill as many kafirs as they could or pleased, looting and burning their belongings and enslaving their women and children in the process. In the above verse, Prophet Mohammed once again is telling his followers to help each other in banning up against unbelievers (people of other religions) (again we see theft, looting and criminality sanctioned as "Holy" according to Mo's perverted Ideology that sanctions the common criminal as a "Holy Islamic Warrior" as AQ and the Arab press sanctions the 09/11 monsters as great heroes in the Arab Alley)
Koran 21:96-21:101
The unbelievers shall stare in amazement, crying: 'Woe to us! Of this we have been heedless. We have done wrong.' You and your idols shall be the fuel of Hell; therein you shall all go down.
This verse is another instance which displays the deep respect Islam shows towards other religions. Here Prophet Mohammed is stating that people who choose to represent God by idols will be burnt in hell along with their idols. Islam is truly compassionate and certainly 'inclusive' towards other religions !!
Koran 33:7-12
But for the unbelievers He has prepared a woeful punishment...
Here, we find the same old blabbering by Mohammed once again regarding how unbelievers will be punished in eternity.
Koran 44:40-49
The fruit of the Zaqqum tree shall be the unbelievers's fruit. Like dregs of oil, like scalding water, it shall simmer in his belly. A voice will cry: 'Seize him and drag him into the depths of Hell. Then pour out scalding water over his head, saying: "Taste this, illustrious and honourable man! This is the punishment which you have doubted." (Islam has millions of fruits)
Koran 52:1-52:15
On that day they shall be sternly thrown into the fire of Hell, and a voice will say to them: 'This is the Fire which you denied...Burn in its flames. It is the same whether or not you show forbearance. You shall be rewarded according to your deeds.' (note the loving mercy displayed by Islam)
Koran 31-37
And burn ye him in the blazing fire. Further, make him march in a chain, whereof the length is seventy cubits. This was he that would not believe in allah Most high and would not encourage the feeding of the indignant. So no friend hath he here this day. Nor hath he any food except the corruption from the washing of wounds. - Mohammed is quite fond of chains and eludes to slavery quite often in the Koran.
Koran 56:52-56
Ye shall surely taste of the tree Zaqqum. Then will ye fill your insides therewith, and drink boiling water on top of it. Indeed ye shall drink like diseased camels raging with thirst. Such will be their entertainment on the day of Requital! Islam is overflowing with kindness for non-Muslims.
Koran 69:30-37
We shall say: 'Lay hold of him and bind him. Burn him in the fire of Hell, then fasten him with a chain seventy cubits long. For he did not believe Allah the tremendous, and urged not on the feeding of the wretched. Today he shall be friendless here; filth shall be his food, the filth which sinners eat...
The above five verses contain detail description of various kinds of punishments people of other religions will undergo in Islamic Hell. They display the true respect Prophet Mohammed had for people who were not following Islam. And through these verses, Koran (the manual for plunder, rape and murder)which is treated as a timeless scripture by Muslims, teaches how lowly people of other religions should be treated by Muslims regardless of time or space.
Koran 2:39
Those who reject faith shall be the companions of the Fire.
Koran 2:89-90
The curse of Allah is on the unbelievers... humiliating is the punishment. Muslim males are also highly fond of sado/masochism and can often reach orgasm by inflicting cruel tortures on their hapless victims.
Koran 13:13
He hurls his thunderbolts at whom he pleases Yet the unbelievers wrangle about Allah..
Koran 58:5
Those who resist Allah and his messenger will be humbled to dust. Yes most sexual humiliation - a vital part of Fundamental Islam.
Koran 70:15-16
The fire of Hell will pluck out his being right to the skull..
Koran 5:10
As for those who disbelieve and deny Our revelations, they are the heirs of Hell.
The summary of the above six verses is that a person following any religion other than Islam, is automatically assigned to Hell. His good thoughts, good actions or piety are of no value until and unless he follows Islam. So if in this life, a person does not follow Islam and does not believe in Islamic scripture, Allah will store Hell-Fire, Hot water, Molten brass, thunderbolts and other humiliating punishments in the life hereafter for him.
Koran 70:39
We have created the unbelievers out of base matters.
So here Prophet Mohammed claims that all the people of other religions are basically useless and evil because they are made up of base matters. But the same people become Allah's favorites and become capable of earning Houris (female sex slaves in Islamic heaven) when they convert to Islam.
NOTE: The Koranic verses have been taken from works of Abdullah Yusuf Ali and N.J. Dawood
The above is a good example of the Selected Verses that children are FORCED TO MEMORIZE in 'schools' like the Islamic centers run by Hamas in Gaza and "Islamic Colleges" known as Madrassas and "Deeni Madeeris" 1 throughout the Middle East and Central Asia (when these poor kids don't have to give the mullah some head or submit to sodomy to pay for their 'Islamic education') WHEN THEY SHOULD BE TAUGHT ABOUT:
1) Reading
2) Writing
3) Mathematics
4) Science
5) Social Studies
THIS IS WHY HALF OF THE MUSLIMS CANNOT READ and WRITE!
Examine Literacy rates in:
* Algeria in 1998 was estimated at 61.6% (73.9% among males and 49% among females);
* Bahrain's literacy rate was estimated in 1995 at 85.2% (89.1% of males and 79.4% of females);
* Comoros total literacy in 1998 was estimated at 57.3% (64.2% of males and 50.4% of females); while according to 1995 estimates, literacy in
* Djibouti stood at 46.2% (60.3% of men and 32.7% of women).
* Egypt stood at 51.4% (63.6% of men and 38.8% of women-a notable accomplishment indeed after only 4500 YEARS of trying!));
* Iraqi literacy was estimated in 1995 at 58% (70.7% of men and 45% of women);
* Jordan iteracy rate was estimated in 1995 at 86.6% (93.4% among males and 79.4% among females);
* Kuwaiti literacy was estimated in 1995 at 78.6% (82.2% of men and 74.9% of women).
* Lebanon, literacy was estimated in 1997 at 86.4% (90.8% of men and 82.2% of women );
* Libyan literacy was estimated in 1995 as 76.2% (87.9% among males and 63% among females);
* Mauritania, literacy was estimated in 1995 as 37.7% (49.6% of males and 26.3% of females).
* Morocco was estimated in 1995 as 43.7% (56.6% of males and 31% of females)
* Qatar, literacy was estimated in 1995 as 79.4% (79.2% of males and 79.9% of females);
* Saudi Arabia a 1995 estimate put the literacy rate at 62.8% (71.5% among men and 50.2% among women); (they can't read, but they DO KNOW HOW TO COUNT MONEY!)
* Somalia, a 1990 estimate put total literacy at 24% (36% of males and 14% of females).
* Pakistan estimated that Male literacy is 34% for men and 14% for women
* Afghanistan literacy is estimated at 12% for males and 9% for females
* Sudan stood at 46.1% (57.7% of males and 34.6% of females);
* Syria, a 1997 estimate put the literacy rate at 70.8% (85.7% of men and 55.8% of women);
* Tunisia a 1995 estimate said the literacy rate was 66.7% (78.6% of men and 54.6% of women).
* United Arab Emirates was estimated in 1995 as 79.2% (78.9% among males and 79.8% among females);
* Yemen, a 1990 estimate put the literacy rate at 38% (53% of men and 26% of women)."
Figures for the Palestinian territories and Oman were not available. (as of Dec 2002, Adult Male Literacy in Palestine was 39.4%) - yes, and with those kids you see on TV throwing stones and molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers the "Drop out rate" and illiteracy are as high as 85%)
THESE ARE THE MUSLIMS - KNOW YOUR ENEMY!
http://americanjihad.blogspot.com/
Israel says the ship was "lightly hit", with no injuries.
Wu Wei --
The Hizbo's have kept the big rockets underground because they take time to prepare for launch can be identified and IAF has a response time of Target Acquistion to bombing of about 2 minutes, by the IAF. We also gave the Israelis about 5,000 JDAMS a couple years ago.
IAF is also a world leader in UAV's, which are blanketing Lebanon for fresh targets, electronic Intelligence, etc. complementing the Israeli intelligence on the Ground. Be assured that Southern Lebanon is swarming with Israeli commando and intelligence units. Hezbo would be firing thousands instead of hundreds of rockets otherwise. They boast over 20,000 rockets, maybe ... they are now in a "use it or lose it" scenario on their missile stocks. Apparently the supply of willing matyrs to fire them is in short supply. I can't wait till they capture live Iranian Republican Guards in Southern Lebanon trying to fire the big ones.
Syria's likely getting the same UAV treatment at a minimum between Damascus and Golan.
The Hezbo's will likely try to sneak off a few of the big ones and get more of them taken out as they come out of their gopher holes.
We're coming up to the end of the first Quarter, Score is Hezbo 2, Israel 57. Barring a disqualification by the officials, always a possibility, Israel is way out in front.
Scott (10:42)
Many thanks for the update on Russia/Soviets and their positioning.
DR..also kudo for info... as an old cold warrior I tend to see a Putin behind every bush.
Wretchard..this continues to be an awesome place to stay current and beyond..thx.
wu's CBS info:
"The objective, Israeli officers say, is to weaken Hezbollah on the ground in south Lebanon, and to pave the way for the government in Beirut to send the Lebanese army down to take its place."
---
That agrees with stratfor and Yoni mostly.
What a TERRIBLE, inhuman goal:
Free people from Terror!
(funded by Iran via Syria-Hizbollah in this instance.)
"The Israeli command is speaking of an operation that will last somewhere between one and two weeks.
"The government of Lebanon, the United Nations and other powers may call for a ceasefire but the Israelis will not accept a ceasefire, officers say, until it has achieved its military objectives,"c
Stay the Course!
...when you've got a good one to follow.
As long as it does not take more than "a week or two".
More than that and Condi will get upset.
The total ineffectuality of Hezbollah against the Israeli incursion into Lebanon has just got to hurt that completely unjustified but enduring myth of the invincibility of the Arab warrior.
Where, oh, where are the martyrs brigades? Yes, where have all the martyrs gone; long time passing? Gone to Iraq everyone. Gone there to burn. Gone there to burn.
As things now stand, Hezbollah must make a redemptive move to save face. Israeli invalids and small children had best beware.
Dang
heck i dun been huntin up bullfrog grub and i musta hit da rong letter since this here ant dat, but some kinda news thang
anyways you belmont guys seems to have it right.
thangs is sturred up a might. the jooz and sandnegras bein war like reclon it will last
i got acrop uf wildwood need currying but this here is egcathional guess my illegals gonna hav a wat on movin the stuff
This Hezbollah chief sounds even crazier than I thought. He thinks the people of Israel trust him more than anyone else! He reminds me of Saddam Hussein, with the same ego and probably the same scared aides who say "Yes, sir" to whatever insane story he believes about himself.
He's proud of sinking a ship which was lightly damaged. It's like he thought his little rockets would take out a battle ship.
Speaking defiantly in an audiotape aired on Hizbullah's Al-Manar television, Nasrallah addressed himself to Israelis, saying: "You wanted an open war and we are ready for an open war."
"Soon you will find how stupid your new government is and how it is incapable of reading the situation. It has no experience. You said in your opinion polls that you believe me more than anyone else. Believe me now – you attacked every house in Lebanon and you will pay for that," he said.
"Look at the warship that has attacked Beirut, while it burns and sinks before your very eyes," Nasrallah said. It was not clear whether he meant that the warship had already been attacked.
One thing you can't take away from the Lebanese. They are big-time practitioners of the US Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Any "proportionate issue" no doubt
pt,
that took eleven minutes?
Post a Comment
<< Home