HEZBOLLAH AND ISRAEL WIDEN THE CONFLICT

Whaddaya think, Goys and Birls, is this spiralling out of control?

It could. The Israelis have been severely embarrassed. The stock market lost 5%. The new pm is not a military man and is desperate not to appear weak. I wouldnt be at all surprised to see Israeli jets bombing Damascus and Lebanon.

Apparently, they have already bombed the Lebanon. Syria "has been warned," because Hezbollah is seen as their client, but it is not certain, of course, that the Syrians knew of this in advance. One ot the alarming developments, in my view, is that Israel says that the Lebanon is responsible for hostages held by Hezbollah.

If this military conflict escalates into a wider war, Israel will fight to the last American.

Yeah, right . . .

Cue Twilight Zone theme music . . .

Yes Israel has indeed already bombed and shelled Lebanese territory. On our channel 4 news, reporter was speaking live to camera and said Israel would seek help "from the UN...US that is..."

I think our dance card might be full right now . . .

Beirut international airport - besides other places there - attacked now as well

Back to the ******* future.


Again.

Besides bombing and shelling, an air and sea blockade is certainly an act of war.

An ambulance is wrecked after it was hit in an attack on the southern Lebanese town of Zahran

bm

Graphics from today's Guardian, page 3:

I need to go back to college and find out what is happening in the world. Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys?
Why don't I feel safer with our troops in Iraq? Why do I feel American is just another one of the guys in the swimming who is trying to find the edge of the pool.?

bm

I think the Isrealis intend now what they intended with their invasion of the Lebanon in 1975. Then, they wanted to neutralize the PLO. I'd say that now, they have invaded and continue to attack Gaza on the pretext conveniently provided by the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier, and that their object is the destruction of Hamas as an effective military force.

I suspect they intend the same for Hezbollah in the Lebanon. Note that this means that i don't see any deep-laid conspiracies here--the Israelis can hardly be reasonably accused of engineering these two incidents of kidnapping. But i think they are opportunistically using these incidents to justify attacks on first Hamas, and then Hezbollah. Attacking civilian areas will never get nut-case terrorists to release hostages, and i have every reason to assume that the Isrealis do know this. But this situation provides them a causus belli for attacking Hezbollah, just as the earlier incident was an excuse to attack Hamas in Gaza (the area of their largest support).

One of the things that leads me to believe this was their immediate response that the nation of Lebanon is responsible for the kidnapped soldiers, and that they considered this "an act of war." The Lebanon was not responsible, and i think it is being held responsible by Isreal as a pretext to justify eventual invasion. The stronghold of Hezbollah is the southern neighborhoods and suburbs of Beirut. The Isrealis will need eventually to attack those areas more effectively than they have done with air strikes and naval shelling if they are to neutralize Hesbollah. It is significant that they have attacked those areas, and i suspect they may eventually attempt to invade and drive on southern Beirut--if they think the people of Isreal will accept the contention that it is necessary.

Hezbollah seemed to beg for it.

I think you're right, Set. Lebanon crossed the border to attack and kidnap Israeli soldiers, and I think this is all the provocation Israel needed to go full scale. Several people predicted that Israel was the real big winner in the Hamas/Hebollah elections.

Appears so.

Anyway, great thread.

Yes, it is.

i believe this was inevitable, and i hope that israel has the conviction to see the job through

hezbolah needs a serious ass kicking, and finally somebody might be able to do it, and it's tough on lebanon, but you know what, you harbour terrorists, you accept the consequences

maybe when they're done with this they'll cast a stern eye to syria