Hizballebanon Update: Hizballah continues to expand what amounts to a parallel state, running roughshod over Lebanon's sovereignty with the government in Beirut either unwilling or unable to assert itself. "Hezbollah's relocation of rocket sites to Lebanon's interior poses wider threat," by Howard Schneider for the Washington Post, January 23:
BEIRUT -- Hezbollah has dispersed its long-range-rocket sites deep into northern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, a move that analysts say threatens to broaden any future conflict between the Islamist movement and Israel into a war between the two countries.
More than 10,000 U.N. troops now patrol traditional Hezbollah territory in southern Lebanon along the Israeli border, and several thousand Lebanese armed forces personnel also have moved into the area. A cross-border raid by Hezbollah guerrillas in summer 2006 triggered a month-long war that prompted the United Nations to deploy its force as part of a cease-fire.
The United Nations is confident that the dense presence of its troops in the comparatively small area is helping lower the risk of conflict and minimizing Hezbollah's ability to move weapons across southern Lebanon, but analysts in Lebanon and Israel say the U.N. mission is almost beside the point.
Hezbollah's redeployment and rearmament indicate that its next clash with Israel is unlikely to focus on the border, instead moving farther into Lebanon and challenging both the military and the government. The situation is important for U.S. efforts in the region, whether aimed at curbing the influence of Hezbollah's patrons in Iran or at persuading Syria to moderate its stance toward Israel and its neighbors.
Hezbollah "learned their lesson" in 2006, when vital intelligence enabled the Israel Defense Forces to destroy the group's long-range launch sites in the first days of the conflict, said reserve Gen. Aharon Zeevi Farkash, a former head of IDF intelligence. In effect, he said, "the 'border' is now the Litani River," with Hezbollah's rocket sites possibly extending north of Beirut.
In a December briefing, Brig. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, the IDF head of operations, said some Hezbollah rockets now have a range of more than 150 miles -- making Tel Aviv reachable from as far away as Beirut. The Islamist group has talked openly of its efforts to rebuild, and Israel estimates that Hezbollah has about 40,000 projectiles, most of them shorter-range rockets and mortar shells.
The group "has been fortifying lots of different areas," said Judith Palmer Harik, a Hezbollah scholar in Beirut. With U.N. and Lebanese forces "packed along the border," she said, "we are looking at a much more expanded battle in all senses of the word."...
Once again, this iranian supported group prepares for war.
One more dot on the planet where the satanic fervor and hate of the muslim readies for jihad and bloodshed.
Mr. President, can you connect the dots? can you arrive at
a conclusion?How many lives will be saved when the heart of this multi-headed beast is identified, when we find the courage and vision to slay it? It's heart Mr. President is islam, its fruits are death and destruction. It's aim will foreverdestroy freedom and security for us citizens of this country.Allowing this crazed lunatic foe nuclear armaments will place you in the annals of history as the greatest tragic failure this civilization has ever produced. With the help of your muslim father that is.
Isn't it just swell that everyone is trying so hard to keep the peace? Everyone seems to know what's up and where it's at. There's 10,000 useful idiots watching what's going down and how it's getting around. We all know where it's coming from and who it's coming through. We know what it is and how they use it. We hear what the plans are for it but a little lean on all who will pay the price.
It's going to be an all in affair. All the players save one will think they have a winning hand on a split pot.
Are those pesky useless 10,000 Dealers vigging on a crooked game or are they running a clean House?
Too bad the House has a history.
Tables open-Players welcome.
High stakes at it's finest!
As "wakingwest" observed above, the chief reason of instability in the Middle East (and throughout all the world) is Islam itself. Islam is the single greatest long-lived threat to liberty which has ever existed. Nazsim and Marxism are pikers compared to Mo's creed.
No one is more clueless about this than the present occupant of the Oval Office, about whom nothing positive can be said unless one is mendacious or ignorant. The best of mankind is on the defensive right now by the worst of mankind. Too bad the current Chief Executive of the United States of America is arguably one of the most clueless men of the modern era, perhaps of any era.
And thanks again to all of you out there who voted for Obama. Thanks for nothing, that is. If by now you have not realized your error, you are almost certainly destined to go to your grave never figuring out how the world really works.
When the whole effing country of Lebanon (president included) cheered like mad the homecoming of a terrorist who bashed in a four year old Jewish child's head with a rock....
I stop caring about Lebanon. Hezbollah has made the whole country their Beslan hostages and they had plenty of Lebanese help. Hezbollah has 'thoughtfully' created the conditions for A) Being a real threat to Israel B)Creating enormous civilian casualties they can use to demonize Israel with.
Hizballah is aiming rockets at Israel and Europe's Libs are ready with their massive anti-war demonstrations and bans against Israel (and Israelis and Jew as well, why not), the 'vicious aggressor'.
Where are all the anti-war phonies now?? They stand hand in hand with their terrorist 'pals'.
All for democracy in the mid-east, as long as it's not Israel!
We'll soon welcome Turkey to the Dark Side, to take a cosy chair between Obama and the European Union.
Again, here's the Lib's agenda: US and Israel - Evil, Iran and Saudi - peace loving utopias and models to imitate.
Omg!! When will good people(good muslims, hindus, christians, sikhs, jews, buddhists, etc.) will be free of evil muslims!! We can only be free of these evil muslims if treat them just like how they treat us in their nations. They are only taking advantage of our democracy and kindness to them. They wont let us build temples, churches, synagogues, gurudwaras, pagodas, etc. in their nations but they will build their mosques in our nations. The problem is oil that we get from them. West needs oil thats why we tolerate the evil muslims but once we all go to hybrid stuff, we can surely wipe these evil apes out of the peaceloving earth. Subscribe to my channel on youtube for further info and you can discuss to me about any topic.
My youtube id is ssukhwal. My facebook account is Siddharth Sukhwal. Have a islamic extimist attack free life!!
"Hizballah moves rocket sites into interior of Lebanon"
Planning for the next round of "civilian casualties"...
Israel would kick butt except there is likely too much pressure from the USA not to do such. They were paid quite a bit from what I understand not to get involved when Sadam was lobbing scuds into Israel..Thought it was in the neighborhood of millions per day.. It must be frustrating not to open up a can of whoopass on these fools. If they did they would get my thumbs up.. Pre emptive strikes so be it, they did it once before remember the 6 day war that was a piece of work..hope they don't put up with any crap this time, and someone finaly other than Israel says you asked for it..
Siddharth Sukhwal
No point trying to filter evil Muslims from good Muslims. That's the crux of the problem we are facing today - refusal to identify Muslims as the enemy for fear of offending the 'good' Muslims.
Here again we can see how Syrians are helping the Hezbollah,
the minute the Syrians will stop giving weapons and rockets to Hezbollah history will change .
The whole of Lebanon is now no more than a veil, or mask, or 'human shield', or stalking-horse, or whatever you want to call it, for Hezbollah; and so, for Syria, for Iran, for the entire damned Ummah.
And many in Lebanon, even those who are not actually signed-up members of Hezbollah, are probably quite willing so to be used.
Israel: next time you have to give the jihadis to the north of you a hammering, just give them a *hammering* and don't worry about trying to differentiate 'Lebanese' targets from 'Hezbollah' targets, since by now, that is a futile exercise. The parasite has absorbed the host.
Well put, dda.
Unfortunately the scene is set for the next round of death and propaganda.
If only Israel, when it has to go in again, can ignore the rest of the world and FINISH what it needs to do in Lebanon to the Hizbollah.
"More than 10,000 U.N. troops now patrol traditional Hezbollah territory in southern Lebanon along the Israeli border, . . ."
Traditonal Hezbollah territory??? WTF???