Article

2005-03-10 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

US ready to see Hezbollah in Lebanon role?

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Posted by Dan Darling 2005-03-10 12:09:10 AM|| || Front Page|| [5 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 We should silently deal with Hezbollah via contract killings. They still owe us for a few Marines.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2005-03-10 6:25:42 AM|| [http://www.slhess.com] 2005-03-10 6:25:42 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Now the United States has basically accepted the French view, echoed by others in Europe, that with Hezbollah emerging as such a force in very fractured Lebanon, it is dangerous to antagonize it right now and wiser to encourage the party to run candidates in Lebanese elections.

Thus, betraying every American who has died in an Islam-inspired terrorist attack. The Bush administration has just sold 200 Marine graves to France and sold our country's sovereignty and dignity to appeasement.

From this day forward, my blogging, whether here with people who stand up forwhat's right, or elsewhere, will not be supportive of the Bush administration. It's a sickening day.

Posted by Jules 187 2005-03-10 9:33:03 AM|| 2005-03-10 9:33:03 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 jules - Let's just hope the Administration is pursuing a larger goal to achieve their vindication. If I were the Syrians and Hezbollah - I'd find the administration's willingness to go along with this troubling. When your opponent in a chess match unecessarily offers up a good piece - you know he's got a bigger move in mind.

Posted by 2b 2005-03-10 9:49:38 AM|| 2005-03-10 9:49:38 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 I might have missed it but I didn't see a Bush administration official quoted in the article, just Phrench, Arib, and American think tank. I am sure that Bush wants to deal with Hebulla, but like the article implies. Call it wishful frog thinking.

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2005-03-10 10:00:40 AM|| 2005-03-10 10:00:40 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 good catch - CS. NYT - "news" created by reporters from their cubes and barstools, using nothing but anonymous sources and a healthy dose of make-believe.

Posted by 2b 2005-03-10 10:15:22 AM|| 2005-03-10 10:15:22 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Why donât they realize that once America makes a case for something, the Middle East will go in the opposite direction?" said an Arab diplomat

Perhaps this is why the admin is taking a softer line on Hezb:)

I agree with 2b, this is a chess match - certainly in the long run we want Nasrullah and Fadlallah beaten, along with their Iranian sponsors. But the way to do that isnt necessarily to go up against them directly. While the Maronites, Sunni and even the Druze in Lebanon dont have the anti-US allergy described above, the Shiites probably do, for reasons that largely go back to the post-82 Israeli presence, among other things, and their historic suppression by the Maronites. We dont want to push the Shiites towards Hezbollah. Better to stand off a bit, let the euros take the lead, hope that Hezb is pushed toward the opposition and keep steering the Syrians out.

Whether the Bush speech is a good thing or not is another matter. He clearly needs to keep global momentum going, and it may be worth a minor negative in Lebanon to get that.

Posted by liberalhawk 2005-03-10 10:16:23 AM|| 2005-03-10 10:16:23 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 yep - NYTimes has been sooooo right about soooooo little the last 4 years, huh? Losers and appeasers, whining when the agitprop doesn't take

Posted by Frank G 2005-03-10 10:28:45 AM|| 2005-03-10 10:28:45 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 I think Bush's speech has them terrified and the Phrench are trying to help the way they always do (surrender). That's like that one article that Bush is ready to sit down and talk with Al-queda. I am sure he told them to meet him at such and such coordinates at this time. At the appointed time the whole area is carpet bombed by 20 or so Buffs. BTW did the times hire Raines back to start writing crap again?

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2005-03-10 10:43:46 AM|| 2005-03-10 10:43:46 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 Don't spose anybody here saw Fox this morning? It's not just the NYT...

Posted by Jules 187 2005-03-10 1:40:15 PM|| 2005-03-10 1:40:15 PM|| Front Page Top

#10

I might have missed it but I didn't see a Bush administration official quoted in the article, just Phrench, Arib, and American think tank. I am sure that Bush wants to deal with Hebulla, but like the article implies. Call it wishful frog thinking

Hezbollah has American blood on its hands," an administration official said, referring to such events as the truck bombing that killed more than 200 American marines in Beirut in 1983. "They are in the same category as Al Qaeda. The administration has an absolute aversion to admitting that Hezbollah has a role to play in Lebanon, but that is the path weâre going down."

Posted by liberalhawk 2005-03-10 2:22:40 PM|| 2005-03-10 2:22:40 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 LH-"We" sure are. And Americans will pay for it with their lives. President Bush, you have something completely vile and despicable with this change of policy.

Posted by Jules 187 2005-03-10 3:17:05 PM|| 2005-03-10 3:17:05 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 *ahem*

http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/05_03_06_corner-archive.asp#057988

My advice is, be sceptical of everything you read. Even if it's in the paper of record :roll:

Posted by markwark 2005-03-10 4:18:38 PM|| 2005-03-10 4:18:38 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 So, markwark-how does that square with Condi's carefully phrased comments on the fox website article today, or the Fox and Friends ditty this morning that pretty much coincided with what was in the NYT?

The proof will be in the pudding. If Hezbollah is treated as a legitimate political party by this administration in any way for the elections, when Hezbollah is responsible for our Marines' and other innocents' deaths, or if change course and carry France's water on refusing to push for Hezbollah's identification as a terrorist organization, then I stand by my comments.

As it is as of now, I find reports of Lebanon's PM returning to his post quite intriguing-is it a coincidence?

Posted by Jules 187 2005-03-10 4:44:55 PM|| 2005-03-10 4:44:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 The proof of the pudding will indeed be in the eating. I'm just thinking it's too soon to panic.

Posted by markwark 2005-03-10 4:56:11 PM|| 2005-03-10 4:56:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Soft power only helps topple governments that already agree with the West as to what they consider legitimate. Syria doesn't consider its occupation of Lebanon to be illegitimate. If Syria is to be pushed out of there, it will take a lot more than trash-talking. I guess GWB didn't hurt anything by trying to brazen out his unwillingness to incur the cost of attacking Syria by simply ordering Assad out. But Assad has called GWB's bluff - and it looks like rhetoric alone will not win the day.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2005-03-10 9:20:07 PM|| [http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2005-03-10 9:20:07 PM|| Front Page Top

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