| FrontPageMag.com | By Robert Spencer | By Hugh Fitzgerald | Books | Dhimmi Watch | Islam 101 | Qur'an Blog | Raymond Ibrahim | Robert Spencer |  |
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
"Western intelligence sources worried by jihadist upsurge in Lebanon," by Amos Harel for Haaretz:
Western intelligence agencies are worried by a growing concentration of terror operatives associated with the global jihad movement in Lebanon.
Recent intelligence indicates that hundreds of Sunni Muslim terrorists from various Arab countries are currently residing around Tyre, mainly in a Palestinian refugee camp near the city. Some of the terrorists are apparently from Sudan and Yemen.
Both Western and Israeli intelligence agencies fear that the jihadists' growing presence in southern Lebanon will lead to more attacks against Israel and a renewed escalation along the northern border. The United Nations forces deployed along the border following last summer's war with Hezbollah are also considered potential targets.
Global jihad is the term used by intelligence agencies for a wide variety of terror groups that derive inspiration from Al-Qaida and occasionally maintain contact with Osama bin Laden's organization.
Much more could be said in the preceding paragraph to counter the notion that al Qaeda invented the Sunni jihadist movement.
In December 2005, members of the Lebanese Al-Ansar group, which is affiliated with global jihad, fired Katyusha rockets at the Galilee panhandle, though no one was hurt. The organization had been in contact with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, then head of Al-Qaida in Iraq, who was killed by American forces last June.
There is considerable tension between the global jihad groups in Lebanon and Hezbollah - not only because Hezbollah is Shi'ite rather than Sunni, but also because they have been involved in turf wars.
Until its war with Israel last summer, Hezbollah was considered the sole power in southern Lebanon. It demanded that all other organizations obtain permission from it before carrying out any attacks on Israel. Shortly before his death, Zarqawi lambasted Hezbollah for this and accused its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, of "collaborating with Israel," because at that time - prior to its July kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers - Hezbollah was vetoing attacks by other groups.
In his intelligence briefing to the cabinet earlier this week, Military Intelligence head Amos Yadlin spoke of growing activity by the global jihad movement along Israel's borders. In addition to Lebanon, the main worries are attacks against Israelis in Sinai or attacks in Jordan. In late 2005, then MI head Aharon Ze'evi said both Israeli and American intelligence had learned that senior Al-Qaida officials had instructed operatives to focus on "the Near East," meaning Israel and its neighbors
Posted by Marisol at March 3, 2007 6:50 AM
Print this entry
| Email this entry
| Digg this
| del.icio.us
|
This could be true, or half-true, or false. It could, for example, be the result of deliberate exaggeration by agents of the Syrian government, trying to worry Western governments about the "Sunni" threat in Lebanon as opposed to the Syrian government's handmaidens (and very strange-looking handmaidens they are too, looking like a collection of Bearded Ladies in the circus), the members of Hezbollah.
As always, those who make policy in Western governments should keep steadily in mind that whatever weakens the Camp of Islam is a good thing, And whatever inadvertently or, still worse, is done by Western governments to deliberately diminish those natural fissures, thereby limiting the effect of the natural divisions within Islam, whatever the Western world does to diminish those natural fissures -- ethnic (Arab/non-Arab), sectarian (chiefly Sunni-Shi'a), and economic (oil-rich/oil-poor)being the main ones, but inter-tribal rivalries, the rivalries for power of individual warlords or political or religions leaders (I want to be the tribal chief! No, I do. I want to be Ayatollah Ozma! No, me, me!), is the wrong policy.
There is no one side always and everywhere to take. In Lebanon, at the moment, the parties opposed to Hezbollah should be encouraged and everything done to weaken Hezbollah's presence in all ways possible -- including encouraging its "volunteers" to make their way to Iraq to help their fellow Shi'a. In Iraq, however, the Americans should not take the side of the Sunnis, but force Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., and Kuwait to spend their money -- no more American money should be sent, as aid, or Jizyah of any kind, to any Muslim people or polity anywhere -- to bankroll the Sunnis in their Anbar Vendee, and to supply war materiel (as was done by Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., and Kuwait during the Iran-Iraq War), while Egypt, Jordan, and Syrian Sunnis can offer Sunni volunteers. And there is no contradiction between an American policy that takes as its main goal, right now, preventing the Islamic Republic of Iran (or any Muslim state, whatever its current regime) from acquiring nuclear weapons and, in Iraq, letting the more numerous Shi'a prevail -- or prevail, that is, after another few years of fighting against the Sunnis.
It is in the interest of the United States that this "instability" that so many worry about ("we can't have instability, we can't have chaos, etc. -- yes we can. It is not our "chaos" and not our "instability" but theirs. And such "instability" will do more to damage the Camp of Islam, and the well-financed campaigns of Da'wa and propaganda funded by the rich Sunni Arabs, and will, if things go right (for us, the Infidels) do as much or even more to preoccupy and use up the resources of Muslim states, than did that the Iran-Iraq War.
Saudi Arabia has plenty to worry about. It has several hundred thousand Shi'a (the Saudis do not reveal the real figures, but it is possible that there are even more) all concentrated in the oil-field regions of Al-Hasa. In always-worrisome Yemen, nearly 50% of the populatin is Shi'a. In Bahrain, 75% of the population is Shi'a. There is a large Shi'a population in Kuwait. If the Saudi government behaves with its wonted brutality, it will only make Shi'a resentment and rage worse, yet if it doesn't, iin a part of the world where only violent suppression works, and all attempts at compromise are interpreted as signs of weakness, the Shi'a, now emboldened by two historic events: the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and Shi'a self-confidence, and the overthrow, by the Americans, of the Sunni despotism that has always ruled modern Iraq and that will never return, for the Shi'a will never again be dominated by the Sunnis, and it is the Shi'a who possess all of the Arab-controlled oil in Iraq.
Stories such as the one above have to be accepted gingerly. And whether true, or partly-true, or false, one has to figure out what it means, or what it should or could mean, not for the "stability" of Muslims, but for promoting Western, Infidel ends: the end of weakening always and everywhere, the Camp of Islam.
Posted by: Hugh![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 3, 2007 8:55 AM
Over time, by demographic wieght, Lebanon is becoming transformed into a Muslim country. Its proximity to Israel means that it will also be a base of jihad against its neighbor.
Thus, Lebanon is gradually turning into a place characterized by political oppression, warfare and poverty. Welcome to the new Gaza strip.
at March 3, 2007 9:35 AM
DEBKAfile reports: The liquid explosives sought six months after foiled al Qaeda airline terror plot from the UK are found in Lebanon
http://debka.com/headline.php?hid=3889
Posted by: Arm A. Geddon at March 3, 2007 11:18 AM
Pray they hit Unifil first. It will be about the only thing that could keep them on Israels side.
Unifil, Just killing time in the Kill Zone.
at March 3, 2007 11:33 AM
As I predicted last week on a Tony Blankley hint, this is not Sunni, but al Qaeda taking up refuge out of Iraq to wage war against Israel in a pinning action so they won't hit Iran.
I repeat, these are being flushed by a successful American operation in Iraq. Hopefully, the Judean state will now in a coming war use a tactical neutron nuke and microwave that entire area as a kill zone.....as I pointed out 2 years ago kill zones were being set up to deal with these problems if dipolomacy does not work.
Posted by: Lame Cherry at March 3, 2007 12:29 PM
"As always, those who make policy in Western governments should keep steadily in mind that whatever weakens the Camp of Islam is a good thing.
.....
It is in the interest of the United States that this "instability" that so many worry about ("we can't have instability, we can't have chaos, etc. -- yes we can. It is not our "chaos" and not our "instability" but theirs. And such "instability" will do more to damage the Camp of Islam, and the well-financed campaigns of Da'wa and propaganda funded by the rich Sunni Arabs, and will, if things go right (for us, the Infidels) do as much or even more to preoccupy and use up the resources of Muslim states, than did that the Iran-Iraq War.
posted by Hugh
Hugh,
Logically this sounds right, but isn't it more likely that we will create another monster, much as we did in Afghanistan? We approved the Islamic fighters (whether or not we financed them) carrying out their jihad against the Russians because it was their chaos, not ours. The chaos in Afghanistan continued after the departure of the superpowers and led to the rise of the Taliban and the existence of a safe haven and a training ground for al qaeda.
We may think dar-al-Islam will be weakened, but maybe we should be careful what we wish for. In this age of jet travel, unless we're prepared to wall off the Camp of Islam and keep its residents confined there then the chaos may soon become ours, much as it did in Afghanistan.
Posted by: PMK at March 3, 2007 2:04 PM
"The United Nations forces deployed along the border following last summer's war with Hezbollah are also considered potential targets."
...What would the UN forces do??...gee, they might actually have to fire a bullet....I give them about two weeks before an evacuation is completed...The UN forces could be forced to decide who the enemy is...the troops on the ground firing rockets and RPGs at them or the Israel Jets flying overhead....it could be a tough decision, the UN forces have already stated they would shoot down Israeli Jets...
...Since the UN forces have been deployed in Lebanon, I have read little of them actually stopping an arms shipments,confiscating weapons caches, conductions roadside inspections of trucks,inspecting shipyard deliveries of cargoes,patrolling along the borders of Syria,or even conducting aerial reconnaissance....
If the UN forces are fired upon, they might not last long...I suspect they have already stockpiled white flags and have prepared peace speeches to be distributed to field commanders...
If I were a soldier in the UN force, I would be worried which side will kill me first...
at March 4, 2007 11:06 AM
Comments are turned off and archived for this entry.
(Note: The Comments section is provided in the interests of free speech only. It is mostly unmoderated, but comments that are off-topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying stand a chance of being deleted. The fact that any comment remains on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch, or by Robert Spencer or any other Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch writer, of any view expressed, fact alleged, or link provided in that comment.)