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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | |
| Hundreds of Iranian Troops Fighting in Lebanon | |
| 2006-07-19 | |
| Hundreds of Iranian Revolutionary Guard personnel are on the ground in Lebanon fighting Israel, security sources say. "I have no doubt whatsoever that they are there and operating some of the equipment," an Arab diplomatic source told The New York Sun yesterday. Another foreign source, based in Washington, said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps contingent in Lebanon is based in Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. He said the troops usually number a few dozen, but that the size of the force increased in connection with the hostilities that have broken out between Israel and Iran's proxy, Hezbollah, over the past week. The sources said the Iranians had directly operated a radar-guided C–802 missile that Iran acquired from Communist China and that hit an Israeli navy missile boat off the coast of Lebanon on Friday, killing four Israeli seamen. "This was a direct message to the Israelis that we are fighting the Iranians here," the Arab diplomatic source said. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard's mission in Lebanon includes keeping custody of Zalzal missiles and drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles. A report by an Israel-based research group, the Intelligence & Terrorism Information Center, identifies the units of Iran's Revolutionary Guard "deployed and active in Lebanon" as the "Al-Quds Force." The Lebanon-based Iranian force "provides military guidance and support for terrorist attacks against Israel," the report says.
President Bush has openly blamed Iran, along with Syria, for sponsoring Hezbollah, but he has stopped short of identifying the presence of Iranian troops in Lebanon. Tomorrow, a senior National Security aide to Mr. Bush, Elliott Abrams, and the undersecretary of state, Nicholas Burns, will chair a meeting at the White House for at least 10 Iranian opposition organizations. The White House has hinted to those invited that President Bush may stop by. The Iranian government has cheered Hezbollah's actions while at the same time publicly denying the presence of Revolutionary Guards in Iran. Clearing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard from Lebanon has emerged as an unstated, but significant, Israeli war aim. Israelis also are hoping for tougher American and international sanctions on Iran and Syria as punishment for the Iranian and Syrian roles in Hezbollah's kidnapping of Israeli soldiers and raining of missiles on Israeli cities. The Arab diplomatic source described the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, as "totally subservient" to Iran. "How more forceful can I put it?" he said. In New York on Monday, Senator McCain, a Republican of Arizona who sits on the Armed Services Committee, said the Iranians had supplied Hezbollah with arms, equipment, training, and 10,000 rockets. He said he did not see how Hezbollah would have captured Israeli soldiers without "the tacit agreement and maybe support of the Iranians." And Mr. McCain said Iranians have "very heavily penetrated" southern Iraq, "including sending in terrorists" and equipment for the bombs known as improvised explosive devices. The Hezbollah offensive against Israel followed a summit in Damascus. Reports vary on whether the meeting was attended by Sheik Nasrallah himself or by one of his top political aides, Sheik Hussein Khalil. Others said to be present include the head of Syrian military intelligence, Assef Shawkat, and the Iranian national security adviser, Ali Larijani, who is one of the many high-ranking Iranian officials who have been shuttling between Damascus and Tehran. The president of the Reform Party of Syria, Farid Ghadry, who opposes the regime in Damascus, said there are indications that Hezbollah and the Iranians and Syrians recently attacked a Lebanese army base, signaling they are expanding their campaign beyond Israeli targets. | |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #14 I suspect Allan is not allowed out from hell, don't expect to see him or the |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-07-19 20:42 |
| #13 TW: Maybe he's still trying to come up with a suitable punishment for all of them. |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-07-19 19:29 |
| #12 My understanding, gorb, is that Iran's ruling mullahs divide between those who believe in lying to the West to keep us fat, stupid and happy a bit longer (aka "Moderates") and those who agree with Ahmadenijad (former mayor of Baghdad, leader of the 1979 embassy hostage holders, trainer of minefield-clearing youth battalians during the Iran-Iraq war, etc) that Shiite Iran is destined to re-establish the Caliphate and conquer the world. Understand, the ruling mullahs vet every candidate for election, so the peepul are permitted to choose amongst those who toe the Mullah line. Ahmadinajed personally believes he has been chosen to bring forth the hidden 12th Imam (the Shiite "Returned Messiah" figure), who, like Allah, will be brought into the fight by the violence of his followers, just as Osama bin Laden believed Allah would be forced to join the fight against us non-believers as a result of the 9/11 attacks and our response. Poor Mr. bin Laden must be very puzzled at Allah's tardy response... |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-07-19 18:44 |
| #11 Hi, 2x4! Is Ahmadinahijab really a loose cannon that has nekkid pics of the MMs all together in the same bed, or is he some sort of MM experiment that might allow them to distance themselves from his actions and avoid prosecution? I'm relatively new here. What's the Mahdi option? |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-07-19 18:22 |
| #10 gorb... or not. ;-) Depends if Ahmadinutjob is still convinced that he has to pull off the Mahdi option. I think he is. Than would likely mean his goose is cooked by the end of summer as there would be a lot of fireworks that would get him in short order. If he backs off, then probably some analysis ensues, but his goose would be cooked too, although it may take a bit of time when the mullah oligarchs decide that he is a dangerous nut that may break their gold nest eggs and has to go. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2006-07-19 17:20 |
| #9 Looks like Iran gets to test its new toys by fire! They will be making improvements in tactics and hardware after this. |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-07-19 16:44 |
| #8 Here = now, at this moment. We = today it's Israelis, tomorrow it may be Jordanians. We, Non-Iraninas. That's my understanding. He verbalizes what seems to be taking place on the ground in ME--the realization of Arab elites that by a strange chain of events, the Israelis are fighting not only for themselves, but also for other ME states. Hence lies the gargantuan miscalculation on Ahmadinutjob's part. He relied on the presumption that their hate for Israelis is bigger than their hate for Iranians. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2006-07-19 15:27 |
| #7 Put a half dozen Popeyes on an Israeli KC-135 and blow up a few Iranian refineries. That also sends a message. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-07-19 15:11 |
| #6 'What's with the "we"? Shouldn't it read "...they are fighting Iranians..." ' unless its a dead giveaway that the arab diplo is Lebanese, and considers himself part of the Israeli fight. ( I suppose an Iraqi could consider himself fighting the Iranians, but then the "here" doesnt make any sense) |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2006-07-19 14:35 |
| #5 "This was a direct message to the Israelis that we are fighting the Iranians here," the Arab diplomatic source said. What's with the "we"? Shouldn't it read "...they are fighting Iranians..." |
| Posted by: Iblis 2006-07-19 14:19 |
| #4 Cut their supply line......Damascus. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-07-19 14:15 |
| #3 Curious how "Arab diplomatic" and "foreign" sources are spreading this. If I were conspiracy minded I'd almost believe some Arab countries are interested in keeping this pot well stirred. |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2006-07-19 14:02 |
| #2 Make sure hundreds of them die in Lebanon. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-07-19 13:45 |
| #1 Since Iran has disavowed them, they don't exist, and if the Israelis capture them, they are under no obligation to declare them. Of course, if their family receives a picture postcard of their favorite son covered in honey and staked out in a pig pen, well at least they will know what happened to him. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-07-19 13:42 |