Hizballah heats up Israeli northern border

[rhodescholar]

1) We are a chartered member of the UN.

2) We do not harbor a militia, they exist on our land whether we like it or not

3) We did not allow a militia to kidnap soldiers, our government did not know about this action, and when they found about it they did not "endorse" it

So we're not breaking that law, and it's not our fault that our government and military have been weakened so much by Syria's and Israel's wars on our land for the past 25 years, that we do not have enough control to maintain the situation

Don't let me begin with the breaking of UN charters, because Israel's is a very very long list, the simplest I can tell you off the top of my head is firing on a United Nations tent in 1996. I mean what could be worse

so let's not play this game, and let's talk about the current situation

Agreed. Lebanon is being used as a hiding spot for rthe iranian and syrian filth to place their proxy army in.

THOSE are the places israel should have been hitting LAST week, for the soldier kidnapped in Gaza, not even waiting until this latest atrocity.

And yes, Israel - with help from people like me in the US - has plenty of weaponry with which to bring that vermin to heel. And they will, I can assure you.

[strike]

Agreed. Lebanon is being used as a hiding spot for rthe iranian and syrian filth to place their proxy army in.

THOSE are the places israel should have been hitting LAST week, for the soldier kidnapped in Gaza, not even waiting until this latest atrocity.

And yes, Israel - with help from people like me in the US - has plenty of weaponry with which to bring that vermin to heel. And they will, I can assure you.

YES exactly. To be honest, I was really surprised that Israel had not chosen to retaliate against the Syrian Baath

[rhodescholar]

That's very true. Man if you wanna wipe hizballah, be my guest. I'm not stopping you. But don't blame the Lebanese government, and expand the operation to cover non-hizballah regions. The Israeli army has attacked several non-hizballah regions

The Lebanese government certainly won't do it because they don't have the capability to disarm anyone

However, your attack on hizballah won't stop them because hizballah is the whole Shi'ite sect representing 35% of the Lebanese population. Are you going to wipe half a million people?

The answer is easy, if you wipe the Baath regime in Syria, you would wipe out Hizballah's political leadership without any trouble, and change the entire Shi'ite mentality without having to kill anyone. And all it would only take is one regime change in Syria

There has yet to be a word that has left your mouth that hasnt been dead on.

I would seek to expel the shiites from lebanon, though as i believe alot fo them were syrian and iranian transplants. I would send them into iran where they should be.

[rhodescholar]

YES exactly. To be honest, I was really surprised that Israel had not chosen to retaliate against the Syrian Baath

What was bizarre in israel's response is that they did a flyover above (hole)ad's palace after the gaza attack, but have not even gone near syria after this atrocity.

If they had been consistent, Assad would already be a singed corpse.

[MGB8]

Fair enough.

Again, I hope and believe (just because its the logical situation) that there are talks going on right now between the Lebanese Gov't and Israel. We'll see.

You can't expel a whole sect out of the country. Hizballah are endogenous people in Lebanon. There's 1.5 million (out of 5 million) who are from the Shi'a sect. 500 thousand of them are hizballah fighters or supporters (this is an estimation). It's not something that is feasible. The solution is to overthrow the Syrian Baath, i.e. Bashar al Asad and his regime. And trust me, that's what the Lebanese government has been trying to do since Syria has left Lebanon. Overthrowing the Baath government would automatically put an end to hizballah. That's the strategy Lebanon has been undertaking, but this recent attack by Israel will make March 14 much weaker.

Man you have to change your attitude, you kinda think that Lebanon is strong but is operating on double standards, when it's hardly even a country. The first implication for Lebanon to start being built was what happened on March 14, and the March 14 group is still very weak. We can't even control the armed palestinian groups in the camps, we've been under Syrian occupation for 20 years and just became free. You expect too much.

[2 cents]

I would seek to expel the shiites from lebanon, though as i believe alot fo them were syrian and iranian transplants. I would send them into iran where they should be.

Was that really necessary? You do not need to discriminate people based on their religion/sect.

[strike]

There has yet to be a word that has left your mouth that hasnt been dead on.

I would seek to expel the shiites from lebanon, though as i believe alot fo them were syrian and iranian transplants. I would send them into iran where they should be.

That wouldn't be possible. The Shi'ite mentality would change though once the Syrian Baathist grip on them would be dissolved. They are largely brainwashed by the Syrian Baath, and once Bashar al Assad and his regime are overthrawn in Syria, and replaced by a democratic regime, the Shi'ite mentality in Lebanon would become more peaceful. It would lead to a peace treaty with Israel, and a peaceful life in the region

[MGB8]

What was bizarre in israel's response is that they did a flyover above (hole)ad's palace after the gaza attack, but have not even gone near syria after this atrocity.

If they had been consistent, Assad would already be a singed corpse.

Its on the table. They've mentioned Syria, and they will do something. However, at this point, its seems the main thrust is to take out the branches (Hezbollah) and not the root. They don't appear to want to escalate this to full on nation-to-nation combat, as opposed to nation-to-terrorist group/political party.

[strike]

Fair enough.

Again, I hope and believe (just because its the logical situation) that there are talks going on right now between the Lebanese Gov't and Israel. We'll see.

I think there are.

[2 cents]

Its on the table. They've mentioned Syria, and they will do something. However, at this point, its seems the main thrust is to take out the branches (Hezbollah) and not the root. They don't appear to want to escalate this to full on nation-to-nation combat, as opposed to nation-to-terrorist group/political party.

MGB8, I would like to know your opinion on how feasible is the option of "taking out" Hezbollah, what's the plan if I may ask?

[MGB8]

Not in the IDF decision making tree, don't know. Just going off media and analyst reports. However, chances are its not going to be pretty.

If I had to guess, it will be along the lines of the US attack on Fallujah, trying to bait the Soldiers into exposing their positions, and then hitting them from range or above.

[2 cents]

Not in the IDF decision making tree, don't know. Just going off media and analyst reports. However, chances are its not going to be pretty.

I'm neither a military strategist myself however we can speak of the broad lines.

Let me outline them:

1. A series of air raids on Lebanese infrastructure

2. A limited Israeli offensive up to the Litani

3. An Israeli offensive up to Beirut

Now let me tell you that all 3 of those options will not be able to tame Hezbollah since much of its military and strategic assets are based in Baalbak, several kilometers to the North.

Is the IDF ready to drive all the way up to Baalbak and start by the same token a war with the Syrian regime? If so, why not start that war directly then? Why beating around the bush? Why do you ask from the Lebanese Army which is tens of times weaker than the IDF, why do you ask it to tame Hezbollah while the IDF and all its might is not ready to do so?

Is it only because Hezbollah is a Lebanese issue? While I disagree and you know that Hezbollah is much more than merely a Lebanese issue, extending to Syria and Iran, supposing that the better army is more able to take Hezbollah, then IDF should play that role, no?

Then why doesn't IDF go for it?

For the same reason that the Lebanese Army doesn't go for it, because both do not want to create a major war that will probably not result in the taming of Hezbollah.

So what are the other alternatives?

[Illuminatus]

4. Since Hezbollah is really a global problem, Lebanon can officially ask the international community and the UN to provide troops and materiel to sanction, isolate and force it's disarmament in order to protect Lebanon's soveriengty and independence.

With Syria and Iran Hezbollah's primary sponsors, the two can choose which side of UN they want to be on. If they (Assad and the Ayatollahs) choose to side with this designated terrorist organization - then that's their problem.

[Alfred E Neuman]

Greetings:

Some observations.


1. When you are at war with another country, stay off the bridges; you might get hurt. You might also stay away from power centers and other quasi military infrastructure.

2. Let's see.....French Alsacians decide that they need more of Germany. They launch attacks daily on Germany. France says they have no control over said Alsatians and that if they did try to stop them France would fall into civil war. Yep, the Germans would go for that argument fine.

3. Let's see part II. Hezbollah returns three DEAD Israeli soldiers and Israel gives Hezbollah 1300 LIVE fighters in return. Yep, that makes perfect sense.

4. Gaza Pals launch missiles into Israeli cities and Israel bombs open fields in return....or empty Pal political sites (after warnings most likely).

5. Syria allows Hezbollah to be funded, supplied and supported through Damascus. Yet Israel buzzes the Presidents love nest on the Med rather than bomb it.

6. Israel leaves Gaza either to bring on peace (chuckle) or to be able to bomb it from afar should Gaza do nasty things. Instead Israel re-invades every so often to maximize the loss of its own troops. After all, urban warfare is so much safer for Israeli troops than is 155mm howizters from afar.

7. Every enemy of Israel would/will torture and cut the throat of every Israeli they find, yet Israel is too "civilized" to line up 2000 Arab POWs and shoot them in retaliation for Israeli POWS being shot.

8. Gaza in the South, then Hezbollah in the North, then Gaza in the South, then Hezbollah in the North, then Iran in the East, then Gaza in the South, then West Bank on the East, then Gaza in the South. Sun Tzu- read it.

Conclusions:

1. If Israel does not become the Israel of 1948-1982 then it will be dead in 10 years.

2. Attack fast and heavy. The world has no patience beyond three days.

3. The world has no love for Syria. Hit it hard and kill the Syrian and Hezbollah leadership. Then pull back after three days. The Syrians are too big of cowards to do anything afterwards.

4. Israel is dead meat if Iran gets nukes. Iran will get nukes. (see item 2 under observations)

[2 cents]

4. Since Hezbollah is really a global problem, Lebanon can officially ask the international community and the UN to provide troops and materiel to sanction, isolate and force it's disarmament in order to protect Lebanon's soveriengty and independence.

With Syria and Iran Hezbollah's primary sponsors, the two can choose which side of UN they want to be on. If they (Assad and the Ayatollahs) choose to side with this designated terrorist organization - then that's their problem.

Since when did the UN engage into wars, do you mean a US-led coalition like Iraq's?