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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan | |
| Michael Totten on Bombing in Lebanon | |
| 2006-07-17 | |
| Money Quote: What should the Israelis have done instead? They should have treated Hezbollahland as a country, which it basically is, and attacked it. They should have treated Lebanon as a separate country, which it basically is, and left it alone. Mainstream Lebanese have no problem when Israel hammers Hezbollah in its little enclave. Somebody has to do it, and it cannot be them. If you want to embolden Lebanese to work with Israelis against Hezbollah, or at least move in to Hezbollah's bombed out positions, don't attack all of Lebanon. Israel should not have bombed Central Beirut, which was almost monolithically anti-Hezbollah. They should not have bombed my old neighborhood, which was almost monolithically anti-Hezbollah. They should not have bombed the Maronite city of Jounieh, which was not merely anti-Hezbollah but also somewhat pro-Israel. Israelis thinks everyone hates them. It isn't true, especially not in Lebanon. But they will make it so if they do not pay more attention to the internal characteristics of neighboring countries.
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| Posted by:Frozen Al |
| #11 "Totten has spent a lot of recent time in-country in Lebanon trying to learn about exactly these issues so I'd lean to thinking he knows what he's talking about unless you have better info to lay on the table." Lebanese radar used in targeting. Hesb'Allah allowed to keep arms and essentially control southern Lebanon No coherent policy either before or after this event coming from the Lebanese government. Lebanon border with Syria not under serious control by the former. Most importantly, Hesb'Allah having free travel in Lebanon. |
| Posted by: Fordesque 2006-07-17 22:03 |
| #10 Israelis thinks everyone hates them. It isn't true, especially not in Lebanon. But This is so typical. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-07-17 21:54 |
| #9 er, innocent people do suffer in wars. more than the guilty usually. life sucks, but there it is. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2006-07-17 17:40 |
| #8 Might one speculate that Israel sent feelers out to the non-Hezbollah part of the Lebanese government to see how much cooperation they could count on, and found the response less than encouraging? |
| Posted by: Perfesser 2006-07-17 15:50 |
| #7 There's another dimensiont to this, Alan. Hezb'Allah are using national assets like the coastal radears, the airport etc. to carry out their attacks. It's not jsut a matter of punishing Lebanon - those assets HAVE to be taken away from Hezb'Allah if the attacks are to be ended. At least, that's my understanding .... |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-07-17 15:28 |
| #6 I sort of see where Totten is coming from. What I would like to see is the MAP of "Hezbollahland". From all I've read while they are dominant in the south, they are also dominant in sourt Beirut and the Bekka valley. I'm sure that Israel is trying to keep to those areas but there is nothing stopping the Hezbs from moving in and out of "Lebanon". If Michael can garuntee that the Hezbs stay in Hezzieland I'm sure that the Israelis will only attack them there. Ain't geography & sovereignty a bitch? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2006-07-17 15:25 |
| #5 I am sorry, but the 80% cannot control the 20% then you are going to get hammered. Lets say Mexico lob 100 missiles into Texas the US would not seperate good Mexicans from the bad when we invaded. We would take out anything that we thought could be used by the enemy. |
| Posted by: djohn66 2006-07-17 14:57 |
| #4 This has become personal for Totten, and that's entirely understandable. But Israel is totally justified in exacting a military price on a government that has failed to disarm Hezbollah. That price has thus far been minimal compared to the damage the IDF could wreak upon Lebanon. Totten should keep that in mind. |
| Posted by: Kirk 2006-07-17 14:57 |
| #3 djohn - 80% of the Lebanese govt is non-Hezb, most of that anti-Hezb. Israel's best course is not to change that situation. This looks like a rogue Hezb operation not supported by or coordinated with the Lebanese government (Iranian and Syrian govts are probably a different story). Totten has spent a lot of recent time in-country in Lebanon trying to learn about exactly these issues so I'd lean to thinking he knows what he's talking about unless you have better info to lay on the table. |
| Posted by: Crumble Omirt5076 2006-07-17 14:29 |
| #2 Those Israelis have such crappy intelligence networks. No humint. Nothin. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-07-17 13:15 |
| #1 I like Mike alot, but he is wrong on this hizzies made up 20% of Lebs govt and it went rogue attack another country. Basically it declared war on Israel, so Israel is attacking the country that attack it. |
| Posted by: djohn66 2006-07-17 13:11 |