Israel's Disastrous Blunder

Israel today killed four UN peacekeepers. That'll teach Hezbollah a lesson!

Some good quotes:

"In fact, Israel's grossly disproportionate collective punishment of Lebanon and Gaza for the killing and capturing of a few Israeli soldiers will only fuel the anti-Israel fire in both places and the larger Arab world. When hatred has been stoked, lost fighters and weapons can be replaced -- and rather easily."

Ivan Eland (7/24/06)

"Unfortunately, Israel's campaign will deal a harsh below to liberal institutions of civil society and will likely make Lebanon ripe for the spread of extremism, Vargas Llosa argues: 'It is true that Lebanon in transition had many problems, including the political survival of many leaders who fought the war, a power-sharing arrangement entirely based on religious grounds and, especially, the incapacity of the political institutions to disarm Hezbollah. But Israel's reprisals are not making that right. They are punishing a moderately successful attempt at religious diversity in a climate of peaceful coexistence and modernization in the Arab world.'"

Alvaro Vargas Llosa (7/19/06)

Comments

  1. Anonymous9:33 AM

    Gene - So far that view is very likely factually wrong. The Lebanese govt is reasonably pleased with getting rid of Hezbollah (despite having several members of Hezbollah in their parliament), and for the first time ever (no telling how long it lasts), we hear condemnation of Hezbollah from Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab leaders. I believe they are waking up to the fact that Iran doesn't just target Israel, but will target anyone not of radical Islamic persuasion. Iran may have played it's only hand at present, and although it is stronger than anticipated, there are many weaknesses in it (for one, a nuclear Iran will probably be seen as a significant threat to peace - which is certainly is).

    There are many indications to that effect.

    Ahmed Al-Jarallah, editor-in-chief of Kuwait’s Arab Times, author of one of the most remarkable sentences ever published in an Arab newspaper: “The operations of Israel in Gaza and Lebanon are in the interest of people of Arab countries and the international community.”

    Interviewed on Dream2 television, Khaled Salah, an Egyptian journalist, condemned Hassan Nasrallah of Hizbullah: “Arab blood and the blood of Lebanese children is much more precious than raising [Hizbullah’s] yellow flags and pictures of [Iran’s Supreme Leader] Khamene’i.”

    On July 15, the Saudis and several other Arab states at an emergency Arab League meeting condemned Hizbullah by name for its “unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible acts.” On July 17, Jordan’s King Abdullah warned against “adventures that do not serve Arab interests.”

    One Lebanese politician privately confided to Michael Young of Beirut’s Daily Star that “Israel must not stop now … for things to get better in Lebanon, Nasrallah [Hezbollah's leader] must be weakened further.”

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=23537

    Let's hope Israel manages to significant dismantle Hezbollah and set back the timeline in which radical Islamics attack Israel with a WMD.

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  2. And the Lebanese government must be thrilled that Israeel is getting rid of those troublsesome airports and shipping ports as well! The maintenance fees on those things were a bitch!

    The Lebanese people are so happy with the invasion that many have fled to Syria.

    The fact that some Arabs condemn Hezbollah says nothing about whether they like Israel's actions -- I condemn Hezbollah, and Israel's actions. And Michael Young is so biased he'd make up this anonymous politician.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Here's what the leader of our puppet government in Iraq says:

    “The Israeli attacks and airstrikes are completely destroying Lebanon’s infrastructure,” al-Maliki is quoted in the paper as saying last Wednesday during a news conference in Baghdad. “I condemn these aggressions and call on the Arab League foreign ministers’ meeting in Cairo to take quick action to stop these aggressions. We call on the world to take quick stands to stop the Israeli aggression.”

    If he condemns Israel, its pretty obvious that most of the Arab world does as well -- which, as I pointed out, is perfectly compatible with also condemning Hezbollah.

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  4. Anonymous3:06 PM

    Gene - That's incorrect. Al Maliki is probably saying this to help align himself with the Arabs and keep the peace wanting to quell the civil war. Arabs routinely criticize the U.S. but hardly ever align themselves with the U.S. and Israel against each other: hence the extraordinaryness of the recent quotes (and those aren't the only ones). Yount isn't being deceptive, irrespective of your dislike of him. The quotes and the feeling are corroborated widely from many sources.

    On a side note, the reality of our external threats in no way reduces the internal battle against the despotism of our own government. Unfortunately its a multi-front war. I do think the "America is most guilty" crowd significantly underestimates the culpability and the determination and evil of foreign powers.

    On a possibly related (but divergent) subject: what do you think of the WTC towers' destruction? 1,2, and 7 (not hit by a plane) coming down at near free fall speed in vertical collapse indicates demolition; the nonsense about "fires raging" which cannot achieve the sustained heat necessary over a wide enough area (WTC 1,2 were built many times overengineered) to cause an entire structural collapse. At the best only local damage and toppling.

    Regardless of the implications (were we attacked by our government or another government or just terrorists?), it does look like those buildings were demo'd.

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