Jul 22 2006
Hezbollah Is All Alone
What a week. The most amazing sea change in the ME is how alone Hezbollah is. Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have wisely decided they are not going to spend their people’s blood and treasure because Hezbollah decided to kidnap two Israeli’s who were simply patrolling their side of the border. Why should these countries pay for Hezbollah’s bloodlust? And Europe and the UN are demonstrating their usual irrelevance. The EU/UN are a equal opportunity slackers. They are all talk and emptry promises. And that includes when they side with the US and when they oppose us. Hezbollah and the Islamo Fascists made one big mistake. They assumed EU/UN talk meant something. Reality illustrates it means nothing. Anan keeps pretending that he can deal with this like a school yard fight: a time out and some anger management and all will be well.
While I understand we in the West have been pushing non-violent ways to deal with all our issues, it is because we live in a wonderful society where peace reigns and we all can focus on bettering ourselves and raising our families. Sadly, this historic Nirvana (from mankinds perspective) is not global. Much of the world still believes violence is the only way to guide people. Anan and the liberals live in their world where talk has this mystical power, the Islamo Fascists live in their world of blood dripping oppression, and the rest of us see both worlds and the choices we face.
Which brings us to the relevant events of this matter. CNN can interview as many blustering Jihadists wannabes, but Hezbollah is alone and their masters in Syria and Iran are afraid to expose themselves. Bush is preparing to use this opportunity to complete the isolation of the Islamo Fascists:
Although some conservatives have been fretting that Lebanese rocket fire and Israeli warplanes are making President Bush look helpless, administration officials revealed to TIME today that they have plans to harness the chaos as a “leadership moment” for Bush that could wind up helping his flagging goal of transforming the Middle East.
These officials said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will leave Sunday night for a week of diplomacy in the region and will go with the modest goal of forming an “umbrella of Arab allies” in opposition to the militant group Hizballah that incited the conflagration by kidnapping two Israeli soldiers.
We have to look past Time’s tunnel vision with their continued belief in Bush’s failure to realize that this moment is historic. If the Arab League remains on the side line then the dynamic will have shifted in a major way in the ME. What cannot be understated is the difference in the ME equation without a Taliban and a Saddam and a Kaddafi (who has decided to join the moderate Arab states). Syria’s impotence is on full display. Everyone is hoping Hezbollah can be crippled while salvaging the Lebanese government (and that means people on the West and in the Arab street). The idea that much of the region is at least watching to see how Hezbollah fairs, if not hoping for Hezbollah’s defeat so they will stop causing trouble, is enormous.
And I am also glad to see the US demonstrating clearly where our alliegences lie. Shipping precision guided munitions to Israel allows us to demonstrate our position of strength focused on the bad guys with all efforts to protect the innocents. It would be nice to see these supposedly brave Islamo Fascist warriors come out from behind the women and children they cower behind, but if they will not we will assist in targetting just them.
We want democracy to flourish, which means we must be allied with the oldest, strongest democracy in the region. We stand by Israel not because they are Jewish or non Muslim (common myth), but because their government and society have been the bulwark of hope in the region. What has to be impressing the Arab street is the fact we have laid down our blood for Afghanis, Iraqis and Israelis. More so for the former than the latter. The Arabs must be re-assessing their own positions in this new world. A new world where America lays down its blood and treasure for a kind of future, not for one people over the other. The world is a very differfent place since 9-11. Where the EU/UN talk and the US sets the conditions and the options.
Addendum:BTW, I think some on the right are being way too impatient. We are one week into this and the normally stable Ralph Peters is declaring Israel as the loser. In the words of my dad who fought in WW II: Poppy-cock. You can tell when emotion has replaced cold hard calculation: the chicken little cries start cackling.
If Bush can get the umbrella group together, they will stop Iran. Iran was on its way to the Saudi, Egyptian and Jordanian borders. Take over Syria, Lebanon, wipe Israel off the map and there they are. I’m thinking Israel intercepted their communications and knew the plan that is why they were so hard on Lebanon, taking out everything, because they knew they were fighting Iran and not just Hizbollah. MSM can only see what is in their face and never the wider picture, because they are so critical and never ask why?
Yes, the “pinchers” are pinching Iran and Syria…it’s brilliant strategery and one we have been long waiting to evolve.
The dems are REALLY gonna hate this. LOL.
We owe so much to George W. Bush, the can-do President.
Well, Merkel told the world where she thought the Iranian nut’s letter should go; since it didn’t deserve an answer.
And, Israel “may” face crap coming out of Syria, ahead. Since that’s the only tactic that would work for the hez-morons. It seems (per Debka; so read this with a salt shaker waving over your shoulder) … is that there’s a “war room” in the basement of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut. (Supposedly, the two Israeli hostages are there, too.) And, supposedly, the “war ahead” has been taken over from nasrallah, to some goon in Syria.
So there’s a perfect opportunity, ahead, to defang syria. IF and WHEN George Bush decides he’s had enough; and he sends in a front line up syria’s rear guard. On the Iraqi border.
I have a feeling, depending on how things go, this might not be one of the consequences. Since, as Israel moves into Lebanon; depending on what the lunatics in lebanon do; the consequences might be more of a surprise than just Israel “taking care of business.” But ya never know. Ya just gotta watch.
Meanwhile, some stuff that syria tried to push through into lebanon (on returning “evacuation buses” met with Israel Air Force power. Plus, that mile-long bridge was taken out. Given how mountainous that region really is the kinds of damage to the bad guys on both sides …. Lebanon’s drug lords, included, here … Maybe more massive that we think?
Since when does burying your army in underground tunnels actually give you much of an advantage? By the end of this summer we’ll know more.
By the way, the countries that do support Iran, Indonesia, and such, also have a stake in TOURISM business. Lebanon blew up it’s $4-billion dollar industry … So it’s not as if having a large, ignorant, uneducated population amounts to all that much. Interesting stakes. Interesting outcomes. And, our President isn’t shy about investing bets at this poker table.
How dirty can syria get, now? We get to watch. And, see.
Ahead? The UN allowed the lebanese to build these tunnels right under their noses. And, if the rumor of how the iranian embassy is being used in Beirut is TRUE; I would count on more than just a lost of prestige ahead for Kofi and his crew, too.
Don’t forget though that Iran and Israel are on the same side….with the U.S. The three plotted together to overthrow Saddam, he even said so in his latest letter. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/21/world/middleeast/21saddam.html
(sarcasm off now)
Reassuring to read your comment about Ralph Peters’ column. I, too, had the same reaction.
After listening to the news tonight——Israel is in the fight for her life. This is no little skirmish.
Good take on this, AJ, as usual.
Something to be aware of, propaganda-wise: my little (not so little, but no Chicago Tribune) newspaper, Daily Herald, DuPage County (collar county just west of Cook, outside of Chicago) did a big article yesterday “A Matter of Perspective,” which was a pretty straightforward interview — except that the reporter apparently isn’t overly familiar with the goals and agenda of her subject’s organization. A good guess is that similar “events” (they’re holding some kind of rally) will be held across the country.
The sub is an area resident who (claims she) has relatives in Lebanon (the relatives got out and into Syria, but the local resident has complaints about the speed of the State Dept, thinks Hezballa is no more of a terrorist org than Israel, etc. the “area resident” interviewee is, get this, a law student working for the Civil Rights (might’ve been “Human Rights”) department of CAIR. I guess she thinks she can have a successful law practice when her Islamofascist colleagues push Shar’ia through Congress (Pardon my snide streak — it just amazes me to see an educated young woman wearing the ME babushka and rooting for misogynists to rule the world).
The reporter tried to balance her piece out with statements from an Israeli Consulate rep, the rep actually blew it, got ticked off by the CAIR allegations and just made a couple of snarky comments, so the propaganda stands.
I’m assuming that everyone here knows about CAIR, but if it isn’t ringing a bell with someone, Check Daniel Pipes archives (www.danielpipes.org) and I think it’s Whitehead (?) at A-CAIR.org (anti-CAIR) — both have been targeted by CAIR in lawsuits, one of their intimidation tactics. Islam Watch and Jihad Watch also should have background material.
I also heard that there might be a split between Iran and Syria and that hamas might be willing to back down. If this is so, things might change in the coming days.
AJ
Walid Phares has a comprehensive overview of the leadup to all this over at
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2006/07/hizbollahs_iranian_war_in_leba.php
This is a compelling must read.
The man does a great job.