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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| US to Arm, Train Lebo Army |
| 2006-09-10 |
| The United States will arm and train the Lebanese army so that it can deal with Hizbullah and elements supported by Syria . Israel has agreed in principle to the plan, it was reported. The Lebanse army is expected to undergo a significant change in the coming months. Moreover, the American government has decided to offer the Lebanese government headed by Fouad Siniora an overall military aid program. As part of the plan, instructors from the US army will arrive in Lebanon in order to train Lebanese army units. The American plan includes a number of stages: At the first stage, military equipment worth USD 30 million will be sent to Lebanon , including military vehicles and communication devices. The plan was presented last week by the White House's National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert 's envoys, Yoram Turbowicz and Shalom Turjeman, who visited Washington. The Americans explained to the Israelis that efforts must be exerted to strengthen Siniora's government opposite Hizbullah and other elements in Lebanon supported by Syria. The Israelis expressed their agreement in principle to the US plan to equip and train the Lebanese army, but requested that the Americans guarantee that the weapons do not reach Hizbullah. Another issue which was discussed by the prime minister's representatives in the American capital was related to the attitude toward Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Americans rejected out of hand the possibility that Israel would hold talks of any kind with Assad, who according to senior US officials "has been completely taken hostage by the Iranians." US government officials claimed that Syria was serving as a front base for Iran to carry out terror attacks against American targets in Iran and against moderate elements in Lebanon. In addition, according to the Americans, Syria is encouraging and assisting Palestinian terror organizations operating from Damascus. The Israelis calmed their interlocutors down and told them that Olmert had no plans to signal Syria that he would like to enter negotiations. |
| Posted by:Captain America |
| #16 Perfesser: That's fantastic, I mean, this really is the dream of every red-blooded American male. Oh, wait a minute, the headline says "Lebo." It appears that great minds think alike. What can I say... |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2006-09-10 23:40 |
| #15 If the only thing we accomplish is going in and capping Omar Bakri, it all might be worth it. Just don't leave behind anything more technologically sophisticated than a hammer when we leave. [Suicide bomber praising] Brooks is also a leader of the now banned al Ghurabaa group (an offshoot of the banned Al Mujahiroun group, led by Omar Bakri – an Islamic radical who fled Britain when he was about to get arrested and now lives in Beirut, Lebanon. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-09-10 20:48 |
| #14 This just proves that the people that run our government are idiots. Not that I ever have before, but the fact remains that it is increasingly difficult to argue against you, Texas Redneck. Like I said, bracketing Syria is a jim dandy concept. However, if this interferes one stinking iota with bouncing Iranian rubble, then we are doing the wrong thing. Also, I can only concur with all of the other suspicious types here. The Lebanese are nothing but the same old sh!t with respect to any other Arab Middle Eastern army. How we can expect them to do anything but stab us in the back at the first opportunity is beyond me. Bush has too often gone limp right when all circumstances called for the strongest response. Moqtada Sadr's militia and the burned bodies of American contractors should have seen Fallujah evacuated and razed with all fighting-age males left inside. Demanding that Israel back down from its dismantling of Hezbollah was simply outrageous. It is all too easy to see this As Oldspook once said, "PUT DOWN THE CRACK PIPE, GEORGE!" |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-09-10 19:31 |
| #13 There won't be any leak of technology. The countries we share Night Vision equipment with is smaller than the Nuclear club. We certainly won't outfit them with the capability of fighting at night. This will give us access as well as begin relations at the military level. Always good. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2006-09-10 17:28 |
| #12 "Hey, that weapons lube smells like bacon!" |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2006-09-10 16:20 |
| #11 If they just train the Christian and Druse part of the army its ok but generic sounds stupid. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-09-10 13:39 |
| #10 If the purpose is to penetrate the Leb-Heb Army, and to have a presence on the ground for Round 2, well and good. But if the purpose is train the Army in some naive belief that they are like us, they just don't know any better, then we are stuck on stupid. No wonder the ass hats don't take us seriously. |
| Posted by: SR-71 2006-09-10 13:29 |
| #9 Hum let me think. Giving Quranics bullets...? And some people are seeing the upside of this on the eve of 9-11. If you want to give them anything give them a nuke, used. |
| Posted by: Claiter Jaiter3942 2006-09-10 11:48 |
| #8 For phuechs sake! Lets just cut out the middle man and issue the weapons directly to the Hizbullah. USD 30 million? And they wonder why people don't support POTUS and the administration. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-09-10 11:16 |
| #7 IMHO, George Bush II will be remembered as a champion of doing wrong things for right reasons. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-09-10 09:45 |
| #6 Maybe. But I can see a couple potential upsides if this is done right. 1) Right now we have no presence in Lebanon and the Israeli spy networks are being rolled up by Hezb'allah. This gives us presence and quite possibly some of those "trainers" will be special ops guys. 2) We will not and cannot be part of a UN force there. But having a foot on the ground might give us a base from which to restrain arms smuggling and attacks. Probably not, but possibly. 3) Most importantly, Hezb' is building a strong infrastructure of support. They have infiltrated the Lebanese army, as witness the use of army radars in the attack on the Israeli ship. Historically, we have done well when we've built relationships with the armies in marginally friendly / hostile countries. Our relationship with the French army is sound (and its small core of professionals is quite good) despite the whole Chirac etc. thing. Ditto with the German army. Armies in the middle east are ... different. The chances that the Lebanese will adopt our degree of efficiency, truthtelling, officers caring for troops first and their own comfort second etc etc. is very low. But some we train will bond with our officers and provide us a support base in Lebanon. And we aren't likely to give them really advanced equipment -- unlike the UK giving Iran the latest in night vision gear. At least, I bloody well HOPE we don't. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-09-10 09:34 |
| #5 This just proves that the people that run our government are idiots. |
| Posted by: Texas Redneck 2006-09-10 09:19 |
| #4 Murphy's Law will apply. Not a good idea with Hezboz's symphatizers. |
| Posted by: Duh! 2006-09-10 04:33 |
| #3 That's fantastic, I mean, this really is the dream of every red-blooded American male. Oh, wait a minute, the headline says "Lebo." |
| Posted by: Perfesser 2006-09-10 04:31 |
| #2 I echo the "crap shoot" take. I know there are a lot of wheels within wheels and they're all in motion, but this gives me a bad feeling. The Lebs have not, in any way, convinced me they are worthy of US diplomatic support or aid of any kind, much less the trust implied with this move. I don't like it at all. |
| Posted by: flyover 2006-09-10 04:24 |
| #1 Possibility of Bracketing Syria = Very Good Potential Leakage of Technology or Weapons = Very Bad This one is a real crap shoot. I'm very concerned that such a venture could drain off resources needed to cripple Iran. If we are given free license to hunt and kill Hezbollah in our spare time, that's all well and fine. If Lebanon is going to fold Hezbollah into their military regulars just before we arrive, all bets are off. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-09-10 04:10 |