Syria's Support Of Hezbollah Could Provoke Israeli Attack

The Washington Post:

BEIRUT -- Syria's fresh interference in Lebanon and its increasingly sophisticated weapons shipments to Hezbollah have alarmed American officials and prompted Israel's military to consider a strike against a Syrian weapons depot that supplies the Lebanese militia group, U.S. and Israeli officials say.

Read the whole story: The Washington Post

Comments

[lbsaltzman]

03:28 PM on 01/12/2011

Israel and the U.S. have nothing to complain about. The flow of arms from the U.S. to Israel is ten times the flow of arms from Syria to Lebanon, and far more advanced arms at that. Furthermore Israel's past military rampages into Lebanon show that Hezbullah must be heavily armed to repel the Israeli aggressors.

[Ric NYC]

11:42 PM on 12/06/2010

Argentina, Uruguay recognize Palestinian state
Following Brazil's public recognition last week, neighboring state issues similar statement recognizing 'Palestine within borders defined in 1967.' Uruguay followed suit. Foreign Ministry officials describe step as 'virtual declaration' while stepping up efforts to prevent trend from spreading further.
.

...Paraguay to recognize Palestinian statehood in the next few days, followed by Bolivia and Ecuador.

Paraguay, Bolivia and Equador to follow. (Foreign Minister Riad Malki)

[RubalKhali]

12:28 AM on 12/07/2010

South Americans are brave,North Americans cave.

[BestGuest]

04:14 AM on 12/07/2010

Yet deafening silence in the MSM... Surprise surprise.

Thanks for sharing... Fanned!

[Deparis]

11:21 PM on 12/06/2010

Latin American countries lining up in droves to officially recognize Palestine as a free and independent state within the '67 borders. And the domino effect will follow. 2011 will be an interesting year on the Israel-Palestine issue.

How long would Israel continue with its (self)destructive behaviors?

[BestGuest]

04:15 AM on 12/07/2010

I suspect not too long.

Thanks for sharing...Fanned

[Amryxx]

04:51 PM on 12/06/2010

Doesn't Israel have enough problems as it is, without adding more?

[spindok]

02:34 PM on 12/06/2010

The article is full of information but almost nothing about an Israeli attack.

One unnamed "military official" says "This is definitely one of the options Israel has. Of course any attack like this could lead to an escalation." Wow. One option Israel has. I can just hear the F-16Is revving up.

The information about what Jumblatt said is much more revealing and interesting. I am not sure is he has thrown in the towel in his older age or has some sort of deal cooked up with Damascus.

This stuff is hardly news but this is:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/05/lebanon-warned-allies-hezbollah-telecoms

Just a matter of time for Lebanon. I wonder if they will rename it.

[deminmo]

02:19 PM on 12/06/2010

Israel goes after Syria, oops accidentally hit Iran. North Korea goes
after South Korea, oops accidentally hit Iran. Ooops, another war
to end all wars.

[skialethia]

12:31 PM on 12/06/2010

Well it seems that Israel is intent on starting a fire of a different kind and will no doubt drag the U.S. into it. But this is not Iraq or Afghanistan. Syria, Lebanon and Iran are a kind of triumvirate now. Israel knows this and will think this over 3 times maybe 10. You see how deterrence works?

[Magic 62]

10:00 PM on 12/06/2010

If Israelis hit Syria, the main reason would be to set US up for war with Iran.

[TaxedCitizen]

10:25 PM on 12/07/2010

True.

[vulpecula762mm]

11:30 AM on 12/06/2010

Blah blah blah blah

[Mikeeee]

11:12 AM on 12/06/2010

"Syria's behavior has not met our hopes and expectations over the past 20 months and Syria's actions have not met its international obligations,"
"Israel's behavior has not met our hopes and expectations over the past 60 yrs and Israel's actions have not met its international obligations,"

[spindok]

04:57 PM on 12/06/2010

"Syria's behavior has not met our hopes and expectations over the past 20 months and Syria's actions have not met its international obligations,"

Might be the most important point in the article.

A clear policy shift admitted by Clinton. The engagement policy with Syria is a total fail. Long cherished by the progressive branch of US politics has been the Idea that Syria could be turned, and perhaps even Iran, by diplomatic engagement.

She now admits that has totally failed.

[Amryxx]

05:28 PM on 12/06/2010

"by diplomatic engagement­"

When did that happened?

[Magic 62]

10:02 PM on 12/06/2010

If Golan is not on the table, there is no point for any discussions.

[myopinion2]

11:08 AM on 12/06/2010

The 2006 treaty which ended the war prohibited arms from being smuggled into the country to Hezballah. If Syria has an arms depot, undoubtedly stocked by iran, from which it smuggles arms to Hezballah -- I have no idea whether it does or doesn't -- then Hezballah is in violation of the treaty and israel has a basis for attacking the depot. But a depot destroyed is easily re-established. Not much benefit in attacking it -- if it even exists.

[skialethia]

12:33 PM on 12/06/2010

And how many treaties and resolutions is Israel in violation of?

[HalEBurton]

01:20 PM on 12/06/2010

Totally irrelevant. As you know the entire international community is anti-semitic and any international laws passed do not apply to Israel because of this blatant anti-semitism.

[myopinion2]

01:27 PM on 12/06/2010

A treaty is a contract both parties entered into. UN resolutions are neither contracts nor law.

[Magic 62]

10:04 PM on 12/06/2010

Hezbollah is much better armed and substantially larger and more dangerous missiles. Plus lots of stinger type air defence. Is Israel prepared to evacuate the whole country instead of just the north this time?

[Poboy]

11:02 AM on 12/06/2010

Israel is not a threat to its neighbors, huh?

[sacklunch]

11:48 AM on 12/06/2010

No more than her neighbors being a threat to Israel.

[lbsaltzman]

03:37 PM on 01/12/2011

It is Israel who has invaded Lebanon twice, not the other way around.

[Dailykook]

06:32 PM on 12/06/2010

Havent heard Israel calling to wipe its neighbors of the map Duh!

[TheRock Barkat]

11:46 PM on 12/06/2010

It didnt? Hmm could have sworn I heard Halutz say that Israel was "Going to bomb Lebanon back to the stone age" meaning to wipe its neighbor out.

How about when Sharon said Arabs may have the oil but Israel has the matches. If thats not a veiled threat of conflagration then what is?

“Israel may have the right to put others on trial, but certainly no one has the right to put the Jewish people and the State of Israel on trial” –March 25, 2001 -Ariel Sharon

[llozano]

10:42 AM on 12/06/2010

How much will Israel demand in return for not attacking Syria? They have learned that they can leverage their threats to get money and weapons from the U.S. and Obama will comply.

[admiralsonasongbird]

10:11 AM on 12/06/2010

Isreal Always trying to strike other nations.
 
As long the U.s keep supporting this nation, it would think it above the law.

[OliverTwist]

10:08 AM on 12/06/2010

It is interesting that the plans of our nation and other nations to murder other people and/or wage war against other nations are topics for idle conversation rather than topics of outrage and criminal investigation.

[Dan Stewart]

09:41 AM on 12/06/2010

Um...this wouldn't violate international law, would it?

[spindok]

03:15 PM on 12/06/2010

Yes. The transfer of arms to Hezbolla is forbidden by UN resolution 1701.

[Magic 62]

10:05 PM on 12/06/2010

Sooo?