Israel expands offensive in Lebanon, Syria vows support for Hezbollah
The Jerusalem Post is reporting that "[t]he IAF attacked Beirut on Saturday evening for the first time in the four-day-old offensive, striking a lighthouse and the Beirut seaport". In addition, "the IAF fired missiles into the seaport of Lebanon's northernmost city of Tripoli in the deepest attack into Lebanese territory since fighting began four days ago".
According to the AP, Israel is claiming that "Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have 100 troops in Lebanon providing Hezbollah key support — including helping fire a missile Friday that badly damaged an Israeli warship". This may or may not be true, but: "An Israeli intelligence official said Hezbollah has missiles with ranges of 60 to 120 miles that could reach Tel Aviv..."
Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, denies that Iran's Revolutionary Guards are currently supporting its activities in Lebanon, but, according to Reuters, "Syria will support Hizbollah and Lebanon against Israel's attacks on the country". Syria's ruling Baath party said this: "The Syrian people are ready to extend full support to the Lebanese people and their heroic resistance to remain steadfast and confront the barbaric Israeli aggression and its crimes."
Right. Israel's aggression and Israel's crimes. That's always the spin, isn't it? When groups like Hezbollah and states like Syria make the case that Israel is to blame for their ills, they can justify their ongoing attempts to wipe Israel out entirely.
Here's a bit more from The Washington Post: "The leader of Hezbollah promised an all-out war Friday after Israeli warplanes attacked his residence and Hezbollah's main headquarters in an apparent assassination attempt, and Israel vowed to press its offensive in Lebanon until the Shiite Muslim militant group was disarmed."
So what now?
**********
We continue to monitor this story closely. For all of our posts on Israel-Lebanon-Hezbollah, scroll down through posts from the past several days or, if you're not already there, go to the main page and do the same.
Stay tuned for updates.
According to the AP, Israel is claiming that "Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have 100 troops in Lebanon providing Hezbollah key support — including helping fire a missile Friday that badly damaged an Israeli warship". This may or may not be true, but: "An Israeli intelligence official said Hezbollah has missiles with ranges of 60 to 120 miles that could reach Tel Aviv..."
Hezbollah, which is backed by Syria and Iran, denies that Iran's Revolutionary Guards are currently supporting its activities in Lebanon, but, according to Reuters, "Syria will support Hizbollah and Lebanon against Israel's attacks on the country". Syria's ruling Baath party said this: "The Syrian people are ready to extend full support to the Lebanese people and their heroic resistance to remain steadfast and confront the barbaric Israeli aggression and its crimes."
Right. Israel's aggression and Israel's crimes. That's always the spin, isn't it? When groups like Hezbollah and states like Syria make the case that Israel is to blame for their ills, they can justify their ongoing attempts to wipe Israel out entirely.
Here's a bit more from The Washington Post: "The leader of Hezbollah promised an all-out war Friday after Israeli warplanes attacked his residence and Hezbollah's main headquarters in an apparent assassination attempt, and Israel vowed to press its offensive in Lebanon until the Shiite Muslim militant group was disarmed."
So what now?
**********
We continue to monitor this story closely. For all of our posts on Israel-Lebanon-Hezbollah, scroll down through posts from the past several days or, if you're not already there, go to the main page and do the same.
Stay tuned for updates.
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
1:17 PM
4 Comments:
"Right. Israel's aggression and Israel's crimes. That's always the spin, isn't it? When groups like Hezbollah and states like Syria make the case that Israel is to blame for their ills, they can justify their ongoing attempts to wipe Israel out entirely."
You could also change that around and say the following:
"Right, Lebanon's aggression and Lebanon's crimes. That's always the spin isn't it? When the IDF makes the case that Terrorist groups are to justify for their attacks, they can justify their ongoing attempts to destroy civilian and government infrastructure,killer countless civilians under the banner of a victim."
Now, stickings, I know there are many ways to view things. I'm just curious why you choose to focus on one side and not on both sides, in this particular case.
By
Anonymous, at 6:58 PM
Just sounds to me like Israel is telling Lebannon that if it can't police its own terrorists, Israel will do it instead.
By
Anonymous, at 7:24 PM
As to the current problems that have spiraled into a near full scale regional war, I’m convinced that the solution to the many issues rests solely upon one defining problem…from which all others emanate and from which all others can be resolved. In fact, in what some may call my fanciful Hollywood formulaic prescription, one particular movie quotation seems to capture the essence of my proposed story line…“If you build it, they will come”. The “it” is none other than a Palestinian state.
Read an analysis on the Middle East that posits that the solution to the regions turmoil rests in the immediate creation of an independent Palestinian state...here:
www.thoughttheater.com
By
Anonymous, at 9:34 PM
It seems to me that the attempt is to wipe out the Palestinians. For 60 years of occupation, the ratio of Palestinians killed to Israelis has been on the order of 9:1.
I think there needs to be a two-state settlement. Stop the violence (on both sides), it hasn't worked all this time and it's not suddenly going to work now.
By
Anonymous, at 12:31 AM
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