Israel & Lebanon war-ish

[J. J.]

The Saudi's just issued a statement stating that Israel was provoked.  That's interesting.

There now is an alternative Shi'ite leadership to Iran.  It's called Iraq.

Iran has said that an attack on Syria would be an attack on the Muslim world.  I kinda doubt that Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt would agree.

Time to take Syria out of the equation?

[J. J.]

I have a feeling that Syria may be drawn into this sooner or later.

I have a feeling that is something many sides in this want.

I look at how well Syria did in the 1973, with Iraqi help.  Damascus was shelled.  I would not want to be in Syria today.

[J. J.]

I'd love to see Hezbollah and Hamas destroyed.  The more of those people the Israelis kill, the better.

Well, so far, they're at 1.

Hop fully, it's number one with a bullet.  This is one that Hezbollah started, in violation of a cease fire that had been in place for years.  It will be bloody, but eliminate them now.

[J. J.]

I wouldn't call them subhuman, but Hezbollah started it.  Hezbollah has no relation with the Palestinians as such and decided to take advantage of the situation.  Israel had been willing to live with Hezbollah, in peace, since a cease fire in 2000.  They can do so again, if Hezbollah releases the soldiers and stops the attacks.

[J. J.]

There's no solution, unless Israel can totally wipe out Hezbollah, which is not likely.

That woudl mean destroying Lebanon, Syria and Iran which won't happen. Hezbollah will probably go for a ceasefire after so many of them have been killed that they need the peace to rearm and reorganize.

Actually, if they try an airbourne invasion, simultaniously with a land invasion, they could cut off Hezbollah; there is no place to run.

[J. J.]

"Lebanon is truly free and independent and democratic ... There's no question in my mind that Lebanon can serve as a great example for what is possible in the broader Middle East." - George W. Bush April 18, 2006

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060418-2.html

There is no question that they are.  There is, however, an armed gang, much like like a street gang in the US, that needs to be disarmed.  The government of Lebanon is free, but not all powerful.  Israel will help Lebanon, in the long run by disarming Hezbollah.

[J. J.]

"Lebanon is truly free and independent and democratic ... There's no question in my mind that Lebanon can serve as a great example for what is possible in the broader Middle East." - George W. Bush April 18, 2006

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060418-2.html

There is no question that they are.  There is, however, an armed gang, much like like a street gang in the US, that needs to be disarmed.  The government of Lebanon is free, but not all powerful.  Israel will help Lebanon, in the long run by disarming Hezbollah.

What sort of freedoms are these? The freedom to get killed by Isreal?

You could effectively make the same argument in parts of South Central.  Ultimately, the Lebanese government is going to have to disarm Hezbollah or Israel will do it for them.

[J. J.]

The G-8 just called on Hezbollah to release the Israeli soldiers and stop the attacks on Israel first. and then it will call on Israel to stop the attacks.

Can anybody say Hez-Kabob?

[J. J.]

I support Israel defending itself by destroying specific military targets (HQs, rocket batteries, and camps). I do not support them leveling civilian infrastructure such as roads, bridges or airports and these actions are counterproductive and don't help to solve any problems.

Those roads, bridges and airports are being used to bring supplies to those military targets.

That said, I would strongly support Israel taking steps to rebuild them, once Hezbollah disarms.  Give the soldiers back, disarm, and the attacks stop and the start rebuilding.

Since 2000, Israel lived with Hezbollah right next door, and did not attack it.  They would still be doing so if Hezbollah had not attacked.  Disarm or die.  Rebuild afterward.

[J. J.]

If Israel had consulted with Lebanon to do a joint offensive against Hezbollah, it would be much more efficient, and the blocking of supply routes could be done by the Lebanese army, there'd be no need for this mass and disproportionate destruction. The vast majority of things destroyed and people killed so far had nothing to do with Hezbollah. Israel is doing the equivalent of trying to destroy a cockroach nest by burning the entire house down.

Except, in this case, it's the abandoned house next door.  If Lebanon would assert control over the region, there would be no attacks.  I'm in favor of telling Lebanon to join in the bug hunt, but no one can force the Lebanese to join it.

[J. J.]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1644123

Or if you refuse to read anything on DU see this: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1150886009191&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

The officials noted positively that Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora had said Saturday at a press conference that his government would reassert government authority over all Lebanese territory - an allusion to the possibility of deploying the Lebanese army in south Lebanon, which is effectively controlled by Hizbullah.

Senior sources in the Prime Minister's Office said that dislodging Hizbullah from southern Lebanon and getting the government in Beirut to assert its authority over the area as called for by UN Security Council Resolution 1559 were among the primary goals of the IDF's current campaign.

"Alluding" to it isn't doing it.  Come on, let him do it. 

[J. J.]

Israel is refusing the Lebanese cease-fire offers. I think a country could assert control over its territory better when it's not having its infrastructure bombed to hell. If Israel wants Lebanon to take over its south, then why not work with them instead of blockading them and bombing their airports?

The cease fire offers, from Lebanon would be impressive, if Lebanon was shooting at any one.

Israel is not preventing one Lebanese soldier from moving to disarm (or suppress) Hezbollah.

[J. J.]

Gee, maybe they got issues with their military bases being hit and the soldiers being needed for damage relief.

Their bases have not been hit.  Israel has been hitting Hezbollah targets.  That is part of the problem.  Hezbollah, the group that's taken the hostages and is attacking Israel, has its forces on Lebanese soil ant is attacking from Lebanese soil.  The Lebanese won't (or can't) remove them.

[J. J.]

Israel just announced it would agree to a cease fire if Hezbollah agrees to release the captured soldiers and pulls back from the border.  The ball is in Hezbollah's court now.

[J. J.]

Hezbollah wont leave. Ecpect this to drag on for a long time, or even expand.

Then, as a military force, it will be destroyed.

[J. J.]

Pretty cool, huh, Mike?

I don't get it. I suppose their teachers or parents or whoever told them the missiles are meant for the bad people who are bombing their homes. The fact that it's hitting factories, warehouses, roads, civilians, most of which have absolutely nothing to do with Hezbollah... nah, I think it's wrong to get kids involved in this sort of thing.

Unfortunately, the missile that comes toward their home gets them involved, whether the adults in their lives want them to be or not.  Kids can't help but take not of what is going on around them.

I don't think you'd be saying the same if palestinian children were writing on missiles.

I would.  It's kinda traditional and not with malice.

[J. J.]

Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Sri Lanka, and Germany.

Innocents, many of them children, have been killed from these countries now.

You forgot one country on that list, Israel.