Monday, July 31, 2006

Israel faces Saladin MK II

"Condoleezza Rice is against us. They come to bring us relief and they bring them the rockets. Why are they doing this to us?"

- Lebanese in Tyre commenting on US shipment of precision guided bombs to Israel
Israel has mobilised an extra 30,000 troops from Israeli reserves for the continuing conflict with Hezbollah.

Prior to the Qana atrocity, Bush had now sent Condoleezza Rice back to the Middle East with a greater sense of urgency to work a ceasefire, something he had refused to allow earlier in the conflict when Israelis were slaughtering Lebanese civilians and maliciously destroying Lebanese infrastructure out of spite rather than for military reasons.

Toady B-liar has naturally backed Bush’s urgent push for a ceasefire.

Israel has said it is receptive to a ceasefire if European troops in the division (20,000) strength are deployed at the Israel-Lebanon border region.

Yes, Israeli artillery and warplanes are still pounding Lebanon and killing civilians, but the above actions are indications that all’s not going well for Israel.

The Yanks are now attempting to get their Hebrews out of the deep hole those Israelis have dug themselves into.

Other factors that indicate negatives for the Israel-US alliance are the Sunni Arabs (Saudis, Egyptians, Jordanians, etc), who had initially gave a quiet nod for Israeli to continue pulverising what they hoped to be Shiite Hezbollahs, are now backtracking and distancing themselves from the Americans.

Their own people have been outraged by the excesses of the Israelis, aggravated even more by the Qana slaughter of nearly 40 children, and revolting in their domestic/internal politics, notwithstanding it's Shiites the Jews are pounding.
Furthermore, what is far more troubling for those Sunni authorities is the rising popularity of the Shiite Hezbollah among their own Sunni populace. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah Hassan has been even touted as the new Saladin, an impression that has grave implication for the governments of Sunni countries.

Then, al Qaeda seeing an opportunity to win the same support from Arabs, has jumped on the bandwagon by calling for a jihad.

It released a video with its No 2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, saying: "We cannot just watch these shells as they burn our brothers in Gaza and Lebanon and stand by idly, humiliated. All the world is a battlefield open in front of us. The war with Israel does not depend on cease-fires. ... It is a jihad for the sake of God and will last until (our) religion prevails. ... We will attack everywhere."

I hope those terrorists stay out because al Qaeda’s involvement will complicate issues for the Lebanese and may give the Yanks stronger justification or motivation to support Israel even more. But nonetheless it’s a new element that won’t please the Europeans or the local Sunni nations.

The Europeans and the general UN body (other than the few American allies like Britain, Australia) are voicing their anger and deep concerns over Israeli use of disproportionate force which has been arrogantly admitted to in a UN press conference by Dan Gillerman, the Israeli ambassador to the UN. Of course the USA continues to veto anything that criticises their Holy Land Hebrews.
When Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon arrogantly attempted to hijack the moral agenda by saying the world had given Israel a go-ahead to continue striking Lebanon, after the Rome talks had failed to reach an agreement on a ceasefire plan, Germany's foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, responded virtually with a cry of ‘bloody bullsh*t’ to the Jewish minister.

In Berlin Steinmeier declared that that Haim’s conclusion was utterly wrong. He said: "I would say just the opposite. Yesterday in Rome, it was clear that everyone present wanted to see an end to the fighting as swiftly as possible."

Hezbollah has showed little interest in agreeing to a ceasefire and appears to be just warming up in its battle with Israel. Its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has vowed to attack Israel with more rockets, and said that Condoleeza Rice's visit to the region merely aims to impose conditions that serve Israel. In fact, after the Qana war crimes, Lebanese President slammed the Lebanese door in Rice's face. It's probably the first and most powerful diplomatic insult an Arab could give to the USA.

Nasrallah said ominously in a TV broadcast: "The bombardment of Afula and its military base is the beginning. Many cities in the centre (of Israel) will be targeted beyond Haifa if the savage aggression continues on our country, people and villages."
All these, especially the Bush-B-liar new-found sense of urgency and Israel massive mobilisation of reserve soldiers mean that Israel is in deep trouble for the longer term It now wants relief in the form of a buffer zone manned by European troops between Hezbollah and itself.
There is a military saying about the difference between (the tactical or short term) ‘battles’ and (the strategic or longer term) ‘war’. One could win many 'battles' but eventually still lose the 'war', like the Americans experienced in Vietnam.

Israel may be dominating in the 'battles', of striking Lebanon by air power and artillery barrages, but in reality is effectively losing the 'war' to Hezbollah.
That is why the USA is in urgent mode - for Israel's interests only, not the Lebanese people.

1 comment:

  1. ...ok, fine, but what the heck has it got to do with u???? US can do what it likes cos its a super-power and back home we hv the BN who also does it likes cos it has power......whts the difference??? y not u contribute to wats happening back home than something so far off, u dont hv a ghost of a chance to change??

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