April 14, 2010

Smart Diplomacy: Syria Transfers Longer Range Missiles To Hezbollah
— DrewM

Obama has been pretty clear about his desire to improve relations with Syria. He appointed an ambassador, which Bush had refused to do for a number of years, with the express idea of wooing Syria away from Iran and Hezbollah.

Baby Assad is unimpressed.

Syria has transferred long-range Scud missiles to the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, Israeli and U.S. officials alleged, in a move that threatens to alter the Middle East's military balance and sets back a major diplomatic outreach effort to Damascus by the Obama administration.

...

The Scuds are believed to have a range of more than 435 miles—placing Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Israel's nuclear installations all within range of Hezbollah's military forces. During a monthlong war with Israel in 2006, Hezbollah used rockets with ranges of 20 to 60 miles.

Israeli officials called Scud missiles "game-changing" armaments that mark a new escalation in the Mideast conflict. They alleged that Mr. Assad is increasingly linking Syria's military command with those of Hezbollah and Iran

...

A senior U.S. official involved in Mideast policy said Washington was uncertain why Mr. Assad would escalate tensions with Israel. But in recent months, Israeli and Syrian officials have publicly charged each other with preparing for war. The U.S. official said Syria's arms transfer could have been meant as a form of deterrence.

...
White House supporters replied that the U.S. needs close engagement with Syria all the more because of provocations like the Scud surprise, in order to be better placed to sway Syria.

"If anything, we need (an ambassador) in Damascus full time just to ensure that reality gets its day in court now and then," a senior administration official said.

Well, I'm sure our new ambassador, who was approved by the Senate Foreign Affairs committee today, will give Dr. Assad the same kind of dressing down Prime Minister Netanyahu received from Secretary of State Clinton and Vice President Biden.

And don't worry, Sen. John Kerry says Syria is committed to peace. Uh huh.

I love how the unnamed administration official idly wonders if maybe this move is defensive in nature. Damn Jews always threatening terrorists!

Back in the real world, why would Assad to this? Well, let's take a quick stroll around the neighborhood...Obama can't wait to get out of Iraq and has shown zero interest in changing Iran's political structure or dealing with their nuclear program. The only things he's shown real interest in is snuggling up to tyrants and slapping Israel around as much as possible.

Assad on the other hand is in bed with Iran and their assorted terror groups.

It's pretty clear that Iran looks at Israel as the only real threat to their nuclear ambitions, so they had their under-boss in Damascus ship some weapons to the foot soldiers in the field.

The message from the home office in Iran? "Attack us and guess what you're going to be facing 10 minutes later."

It's pretty clear that not only won't Assad pay a price for doing this with his new found friend in the White House but he will probably receive all sorts of new goodies. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for Obama to lift the sanctions on Syria or exert pressure on Israel to deal with Syria on the Golan Heights or other bilateral matters. In exchange Syria will no doubt deliver some nebulous promises of cooperation and good behavior.

Thanks to Obama's super awesome powers of diplomacy, thugs can smell America's weakening resolve. Now we see what that translates to on the ground... Israel has a new military threat to factor into their Iranian calculations and they have confirmation that Obama's willingness deep held desire to put daylight between Israel and the US is emboldening mid-level players like Syria against them.

It's almost as if a weak America invites not cooperation but more aggressive behavior form thug nations. Who knew?

Posted by: DrewM at 01:26 PM | Comments (91)
Post contains 671 words, total size 5 kb.

1

What could go wrong.

 

Posted by: gus at April 14, 2010 01:27 PM (Vqruj)

2 I see someone finally got around to reading the Headline Comments thread.

Posted by: Waterhouse at April 14, 2010 01:28 PM (rOd1g)

3
thugs can smell America's weakening resolve

Smells like chicken?

Posted by: Dang Straights at April 14, 2010 01:29 PM (fx8sm)

4

Who knew?

Anyone with a brain?  Do I win?

 

Posted by: AndrewsDad at April 14, 2010 01:30 PM (C2//T)

5 A senior U.S. official involved in Mideast policy said Washington was uncertain why Mr. Assad would escalate tensions with Israel.

This has to be one of the stupidest people in the government and that's saying quite a bit.

Posted by: mpfs, Mrs Rubio-West-Brown-Ryan-Lollar at April 14, 2010 01:31 PM (iYbLN)

6 OT: Hey Dang get the Droid.  I love mine.

Posted by: mpfs, Mrs Rubio-West-Brown-Ryan-Lollar at April 14, 2010 01:32 PM (iYbLN)

7

Why would ANY COUNTRY cooperate with the U.S. now??

Syria is not afraid of us now.  No one is.

Obama and Napolitano have AMERICANS afraid of AMERICA, but Commies, dictators and thugs are laughing at Obama.

 

Posted by: gus at April 14, 2010 01:32 PM (Vqruj)

8 It's almost as if a weak America invites not cooperation but more aggressive behavior form thug nations. Who knew?

We have met the enemy, and they is us. Well, fifty-two percent of us + a rogue statist administration, anyway.

Posted by: Soap MacTavish at April 14, 2010 01:33 PM (554T5)

9 You can just feel the USA getting weaker every day. Obama is reaching his goal.

Posted by: Gride at April 14, 2010 01:35 PM (fc+8y)

10 The dismantling of America, one massive blunder at a time.

Posted by: Soap MacTavish at April 14, 2010 01:35 PM (554T5)

11 Drew, great post.  I really believe that this Obama shitting on Israel thing is spiraling out of control. They have to defend themselves and they can't wait until the enemy is armed to the point that the outcome is in question. 

Posted by: conscious and saying Obama is a traitor to the U.S. and Israel at April 14, 2010 01:37 PM (YVZlY)

12

From Gateway pundit article by SpenglerÂ….

IÂ’ve been screaming about this for more than two years:  Obama is the loyal son of a left-wing anthropologist mother who sought to expiate her white guilt by going to bed with Muslim Third World men.  He is a Third World anthropologist studying us, learning our culture and our customers the better to neutralize what he considers to be a malignant American influence in world affairs. - - Spengler, This is not a Drill, This is the real thing.

Makes my blood run cold.

Posted by: Cheri at April 14, 2010 01:37 PM (G+Wff)

13

What the FUCK would John motherfucking Kerry be doing talking to Assad??

Posted by: gus at April 14, 2010 01:37 PM (Vqruj)

14
The dismantling of America, one massive blunder at a time.

That's a feature not a bug.

Posted by: Barak Obami at April 14, 2010 01:39 PM (tf9Ne)

15

What the FUCK would John motherfucking Kerry be doing talking to Assad??

Posted by: gus at April 14, 2010 05:37 PM (Vqruj)


looking for a Nobel Peace Prize?

Posted by: fartbubble at April 14, 2010 01:40 PM (gAmQ1)

16 Obama may very well get Israel killed.

Posted by: Al Gore hates someguy at April 14, 2010 01:41 PM (oe0sG)

17

Muslim scum will increase tensions with Israel simply because they CAN. 

If they know America is not going to back Israel, they can do as they please.

Have any of you ever heard of NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN?

Yes.

He gave Hitler the OKIE DOKIE to invade Czech then Poland then half of the world by being WEAK.

Obama is WEAK and a complete and utter fuck -up.

Posted by: gus at April 14, 2010 01:41 PM (Vqruj)

18

I would be more concerned if I wasn't already convinced that Hezbollah is completely dedicated to the peace process. These missiles are no different than the missiles the US placed in Poland. They are purely defensive in nature and function solely as a deterrent to maintain peace in the region.

STOP THE HATE YOU RACISTS!

Posted by: Some State Dept. Asshole at April 14, 2010 01:41 PM (F09Uo)

19 Obama may very well get Israel killed.

Posted by: Al Gore hates someguy at April 14, 2010 05:41 PM (oe0sG)


I think that's his point

Posted by: fartbubble at April 14, 2010 01:42 PM (gAmQ1)

20 where do i put money on bibi going preIemptive

Posted by: Jean at April 14, 2010 01:42 PM (AFLpt)

21 It's almost as if a weak America invites not cooperation but more aggressive behavior form thug nations. Who knew?

Woah. It's almost like... multipolar geopolitcal environments are more dangerous and volatile than unipolar.

Posted by: A.G. at April 14, 2010 01:42 PM (BgD0W)

22

Obama is setting up a scenario where ISRAEL will HAVE TO ACT.

Then the shit hits the fan.

Posted by: gus at April 14, 2010 01:43 PM (Vqruj)

23 What the FUCK would John motherfucking Kerry be doing talking to Assad??


Same thing that Jon "halp me" Cary was doing talking to the North Vietnamese in 1970......

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at April 14, 2010 01:43 PM (VY5KX)

24 Is there any longer any doubt that all of this is being done with focused deliberation and malice aforethought?

Posted by: Soap MacTavish at April 14, 2010 01:43 PM (554T5)

25 Okay Israel, I hereby give you permission to completely wipe out your Muslim neighbors. Granted, I don't want to pay $20.00 a gallon, but I'll sacrifice for the greater good.

Posted by: Samuel Adams at April 14, 2010 01:44 PM (nxUYP)

26 Axelrod and Emanuel are Jewish.  I understand they are cock sucking libtards, but why would a Jewish guy purposely fuck Israel?

Posted by: gus at April 14, 2010 01:47 PM (Vqruj)

27 Seriously, what are the odds that after Iran has the "Islamic Bomb" Hezbollah will decide to upgrade those missiles' with a warhead that has a tad more oomph.

Posted by: Some State Dept. Asshole at April 14, 2010 01:48 PM (F09Uo)

28 re: 26

maybe that is the way to peace in the Middle East... Syria/Hezbollah launches scuds, and Israel opens up a biblically epic can of whoopass in retaliation.  Annihilation of the opposition means no longer to have to hear their bitching.

Posted by: A.G. at April 14, 2010 01:48 PM (BgD0W)

29 And don't worry, Sen. John Kerry says Syria is committed to peace. Uh huh.

Does this kind of thing remind anyone else of the 1930s, where politicians in Britain and the US were running around assuring everyone the Germans were committed to peace?

Posted by: Ace's liver at April 14, 2010 01:48 PM (XIXhw)

30 Sock OFF

Posted by: Jim in San Diego at April 14, 2010 01:48 PM (F09Uo)

31

Maybe we should send some Kerry/Rodham smart diplomacy .  I'm sure they'd do a good job with Ahmedinijiad.

 

Posted by: gus at April 14, 2010 01:50 PM (Vqruj)

32 #30 meet #18

Posted by: gus at April 14, 2010 01:51 PM (Vqruj)

33

It's almost as if a weak America invites not cooperation but more aggressive behavior form thug nations. Who knew?

Your mistake is in thinking this is an accident.  The Democrats would love nothing more than a nuclear terrorist strike in America, because they would use it to declare a state of emergency, seize all firearms, exterminate portions of the populace seen as undependable slaves, and establish a Marxist-Leninist dictatorship that would last literally forever.

Posted by: Ken at April 14, 2010 01:51 PM (EawMs)

34 Axelrod and Emanuel are Jewish.  I understand they are cock sucking libtards, but why would a Jewish guy purposely fuck Israel?

Posted by: gus at April 14, 2010 05:47 PM (Vqruj)


Typical American self-hating Jews. I bet 70% of American Jews wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, and say to themselves; "damn I hate myself for being Jewish". Of course, after that they tell themselves; "also, how much money can I make today?"

Posted by: Samuel Adams at April 14, 2010 01:51 PM (nxUYP)

35 Does this kind of thing remind anyone else of the 1930s

Obami making sure we get a repeat of the economy of the 30s as a bonus.

Posted by: Buzzsaw at April 14, 2010 01:53 PM (tf9Ne)

36 What obama is doing to this country makes me sad, but also very, very angry.

Posted by: Bosk at April 14, 2010 01:53 PM (pUO5u)

37

Obama is setting up a scenario where ISRAEL will HAVE TO ACT.

Then the shit hits the fan.

If we are going to have an Apocalypse can we get it over with?

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at April 14, 2010 01:54 PM (0q2P7)

38 16 Whoa, Syria is really going to get the shit kicked out of it if these missiles are used.

Right, but it's going to be a costly victory.  I think the next Israeli/Lebanon/Syria dustup is going to involve missile launches into Israeli cities.  And Assad might be stupid enough to pass along some of the chem/bio stuff from Syria's robust weapons program onto Hezbollah.  And who knows what nuke tech Syria has, remember the Israeli raid into Syria 2007?  Syria and Iran are joined at the hip.  Syria isn't going to do anything without Tehran's permission. 

/In the end, there will be only chaos.

Posted by: Kratos (missing from the side of Mt Olympus) at April 14, 2010 01:54 PM (c0A3e)

39 Why would Assad transfer missiles to Hezbollah (and to Hamass no doubt)? Sensing a gangup on Israel, seeing Obama say that a chemical or cyber or nuke attack by a party not out of compliance with the NPT would not warrant assured destruction (neither Syria or Hezbollah or Hamass are out of compliance with the NPT since they never signed that treaty (and in the case of Hezbollah and Hamass they are not state actors who could even sign  or be bound by such treaty even if they so desired-which they don't) means that they feel that we would not protect our friends from such attacks (since we wouldn't protect our own citizens). They hear that Obama doesn't like the fact that we are the world's preeminent superpower (Woe is Obama that he must preside over such an unrighteous superpower).  The dictators see Obama kowtowing and bowing to the vicious autocrats in Russia, China and the MidEast. They see him dissing allies of the US (not his allies though) and coddling dictators. They see Obama coddling Iran. So Assad has nothing to lose from dissing Obama.

Posted by: eaglewingz08 at April 14, 2010 01:57 PM (dv8zz)

40 I'm not denigrating scud technology, but these are NOT anywhere near as advanced technologically as our 30 plus year old cruise missiles. In other words, while I think that Israel should just say fuck it and destroy their Muslim neighbors, I'm still not convinced that any Muslim army in this era could fight their way out of a wet paper bag.

Posted by: Samuel Adams at April 14, 2010 01:58 PM (nxUYP)

41 Ken @ #34

The dead-pan paranoia has me in stitches.

Posted by: Dianna at April 14, 2010 01:58 PM (qrFCz)

42 The dead-pan paranoia has me in stitches.

Posted by: Dianna at April 14, 2010 05:58 PM (qrFCz)


I agree. A friend of mine at work still thinks that the November elections will be suspended and that a gun grab is eminent. We are a long, long way from that.

Posted by: Samuel Adams at April 14, 2010 02:00 PM (nxUYP)

43 I seem to recall a brokered treaty in which no more arms were supposed to be shipped into these groups.

Posted by: Vic at April 14, 2010 02:01 PM (QrA9E)

44 #43 Samuel Adams

That old thing is still around? I had a friend, back in 2000, who swore that Clinton was going to cancel the elections. Then that he was going to cancel the inauguration. Then that Clinton would be killed before he'd been out of office a year.

I got a dinner at Benihana out of that last.

Posted by: Dianna at April 14, 2010 02:03 PM (qrFCz)

45

Assuming the US lasts until a Republican takeover in 2012, the Republican President (Christie?) will need to avoid a redo of Bush's mistakes.  Bush was tough as nails fighting foreign terrorists, but did not fight the left-wing Fifth Column at home.

If President ******* wants to save America, he will have to focus on the Leftist traitors.  This consists not only of overturning all of the unconstitutional laws of both the Obama and Clinton juntas, but also of the elimination of the Demoncreep Party as an institution.  It may very well be necessary to use deadly force on a massive scale; we should not flinch from this necessity.

Posted by: Ken at April 14, 2010 02:03 PM (EawMs)

46 44 I seem to recall a brokered treaty in which no more arms were supposed to be shipped into these groups.

Resolution 1701.  After the Israeli/Lebanon war, Hezbollah claimed they had about 10k missiles.  2 years after that, they claimed 40k missiles.  

/Guess UN resolutions are pretty worthless, huh?

Posted by: Kratos (missing from the side of Mt Olympus) at April 14, 2010 02:03 PM (c0A3e)

47 I got a dinner at Benihana out of that last.

Mmmmmmm......Benihana.

Posted by: Samuel Adams at April 14, 2010 02:04 PM (nxUYP)

48 27 Axelrod and Emanuel are Jewish.  I understand they are cock sucking libtards, but why would a Jewish guy purposely fuck Israel? Posted by: gus at April 14, 2010 05:47 PM

American Jews on the Left would rather be dead than politically incorrect or unhip. If King Barry declared war on Israel directly, he'd still have over 50 percent approval ratings among Jews.

The urbane hip Jews of Manhattan and Hollywood are Statists first, second, and third. They're Jews in name only

Posted by: kbdabear at April 14, 2010 02:04 PM (sYxEE)

49 I agree. A friend of mine at work still thinks that the November elections will be suspended and that a gun grab is eminent. We are a long, long way from that.

Yeah! At least a month when Iran goes all Fungus Fireball on Israel.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at April 14, 2010 02:05 PM (0q2P7)

50

42:  I'm not saying that their plan will succeed.  I'm just saying it is their definite intent.

Why do you think they had the dry run of the Katrina gun confiscation?

Posted by: Ken at April 14, 2010 02:05 PM (EawMs)

51 Posted by: Ken at April 14, 2010 06:03 PM (EawMs)
It may very well be necessary to use deadly force on a massive scale; we should not flinch from this necessity.


Ken, please step away from the tin-foil hat. Moby?

Posted by: Samuel Adams at April 14, 2010 02:06 PM (nxUYP)

52 I'm guessing those launchers are going to ummm....get "modified" in the very near future.  This is the equivalent of a Cuban missile crisis for Israel; something that simply can't be allowed to stand.

Posted by: Purple Avenger at April 14, 2010 02:07 PM (fhx4g)

53 27 Axelrod and Emanuel are Jewish.  I understand they are cock sucking libtards, but why would a Jewish guy purposely fuck Israel? Posted by: gus at April 14, 2010 05:47 PM

George Soros first made his money by ratting out fellow Jews in Hungary. See also the term Sonderkommando , those are the prisoners who got survivable rations by leading their brethren into the gas chambers

Posted by: kbdabear at April 14, 2010 02:08 PM (sYxEE)

54 Ken @ #51

Oh, dear.

There is no way to address that - except to advise you to take a deep breath, step back, and note the lack of black helicopters.

I keep hearing these lurid, fearful scenarios; I heard them in the 80's, 90's and Oughts. Curiously, they never come to pass.

101 California happens. In hysterical reaction, an "assault weapons" ban is passed; curiously, however, it expires. Even in California, a state run by pants-wetters, guns remain legal and very hard to extract from the population.

Think of this: if there were a nuclear attack in the US, the government would be so busy wringing its hands and hyperventilating that taking guns would be the very last thing they could organize.

Though if you enjoy this line of thought, you might try Tom Kratman's "A State of Disobedience."

Posted by: Dianna at April 14, 2010 02:12 PM (qrFCz)

55

Why do you think they had the dry run of the Katrina gun confiscation?

Posted by: Ken at April 14, 2010 06:05 PM (EawMs)


Ken, the Katrina gun confiscation was another story blown way out of proportion in the same vein as Bush hates black people and murders and rapes were committed in the Superdome. If I'm correct, only a miniscule number of illegal searches were committed by Law Enforcement during a local crisis. Remember, some of the same members of this local Law Enforcement were caught on camera looting DVD's and other electronics from Wal-Mart. If a cop comes to your door and asks if you have guns, tell them no, you have no guns. If he asks to search anyway and if you are not suspected of a crime, tell him no. If he does it anyway, then report him to Internal Affairs.

Posted by: Samuel Adams at April 14, 2010 02:13 PM (nxUYP)

56 having been on the receiving end of Scud fire in 2003 in Kuwait and then southern Iraq, If I was Hezbollah I would get rid of those missles, they are just as likely to hit their own guys as the Israelis.  But maybe that's the point, nobody knows where it is going after it is fired.  It's CEP is unreal..........

Posted by: ArizonaHaole at April 14, 2010 02:16 PM (THLN4)

57 Axelrod and Emanuel are Jewish.  I understand they are cock sucking libtards, but why would a Jewish guy purposely fuck Israel?


Axelrod is simply an oily, sinister little toad. His Jooishness is little more than his ethnicity, with no bearing on his life.

But Rahm perplexes me. He did time with the IDF civilian auxiliaries during the Gulf War, and his family has quite a few VERY vocal supporters of Israel. His Dad was a member of the Irgun, even.

Dem trumps Joo, I guess.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at April 14, 2010 02:16 PM (VY5KX)

58 #57 AH -

I read that somewhere.

Also, Jaques Littlefield had a SCUD launcher at his tank museum; there was some interesting specs attached that I didn't take much note of at the time.

Posted by: Dianna at April 14, 2010 02:18 PM (qrFCz)

59 "sets back a major diplomatic outreach effort to Damascus by the Obama administration."  The referenced article is written as if Obama's effort here wasn't to encourage Syria to do this.

Didn't Mitchell toss the Arabs a major bone, when he unilaterally accepted their definition of refugee and Obama break the ambiguity regarding Israel's nukes - Obama has been pushing Israel into a corner and now Assad decides try giving them a shove.

Posted by: Jean at April 14, 2010 02:22 PM (CPefM)

60 having been on the receiving end of Scud fire in 2003 in Kuwait and then southern Iraq, If I was Hezbollah I would get rid of those missles, they are just as likely to hit their own guys as the Israelis.

That might be exactly what's going on here.  Syria has bazillions of these things, and they don't last forever.  My guess is in lieu of scrapping the ones past their sell-by date they gave 'em to Hezbollah.

CEP is good enough if you're shooting at a relatively large metropolitan area instead of a military target.

Posted by: Ace's liver at April 14, 2010 02:26 PM (XIXhw)

61 Fair enough 61, as a terror weapon agreed on the CEP. 

Posted by: ArizonaHaole at April 14, 2010 02:29 PM (THLN4)

62 Here's hoping Saddam didn't ship his WMD arsenal to Syria in early 2003.

Posted by: Waterhouse at April 14, 2010 02:36 PM (O1WaW)

63 #63  From your keypad to God's ear.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at April 14, 2010 02:50 PM (UOM48)

64 America under the Indonesian Imbecile and the traitorous dem junta:

Worst Friend, Best Enemy

Posted by: progressoverpeace at April 14, 2010 03:04 PM (N49h9)

65 From your keypad to God's ear.

I'm skeptical.  What's God supposed to do with "clickety clickety click"?

Posted by: Ace's liver at April 14, 2010 03:13 PM (XIXhw)

66 I'm wondering if there's still going to be a world here when 2012 rolls around.  Perhaps Obama is thinking if the world is destroyed, he won't be defeated in the election.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at April 14, 2010 03:26 PM (eNxMU)

67 Ace's liver.  Heh. 

Posted by: Jane D'oh at April 14, 2010 03:29 PM (UOM48)

68 Hezbollah doesn't care about accuracy.As long as they hit anywhere in Israel it's all good.If they fall short and kill Palis it's the Jews fault.Hits Jordan?Jews.Only the evil Jews have to worry about collateral damage.

Posted by: steevy at April 14, 2010 03:43 PM (zBOox)

69 ...with the express idea of wooing Syria away from Iran and Hezbollah.

Just the thought of trying this is stupid.

Posted by: Blacque Jacques Shellacque at April 14, 2010 03:51 PM (Q75cY)

70

Keep your powder dry, peoples.

The worst years in America that I've ever seen were '67 and '68, and we ain't now where near that level of civil disobedience and rioting in the streets.  Peope have been too complacent for too long for that sort of thing to start up all at once. The talking heads want to goad the TEA party folks into over reacting, but most of those people are not revolutionary Red, they are middle class citizens who just want us to live up to our Constitution.

Besides, we've got to decide if Obama is an evil genius or sinister imbecile. The Left had the same problem with George Bush, and it was fracking hilarious at the time.

My money is on an egotistical, lazy,  (narcisssistic?) self-centered mediocrity, who will be one and done in 2012. He frankly doesn't realize what a poor job he is doing as President with much of the media praising his every move.  But the old media is dying, their credibility is frankly "gone with the wind", and more people find out things from direct sources on the Internet.

Assad and the Arabs never miss a chance to miss a chance. These guys are third class bumblers.  As several guys said, the Scud is a pretty useless weapon, except to create terror. It is ballistic and could be knocked down by the Arrow or Patriot anti-missiles.

Must of the Arabs are frankly pretty gutless unless they are sure they will win, which they frankly never have. They are great fighters when the are on the razzia, atacking lightly armed civilians; they ALWAYS outnumbered the Crusader armies, but usually lost unless they had a good general, such as Saladin (a Kurd, not an Arab). The real danger is that Obama and the Europeans will talk so much trash about Israel that these dummies will try something, or the Israelis will become so fearful they will strike pre-emptively.

Posted by: Reader CJ Burch says.. at April 14, 2010 03:53 PM (sJTmU)

71 Makes things even more interesting when Iran finally announces that it has nukes.  A Scud in Lebanon would be a fairly effective second-strike device, assuming that Iran could deliver a warhead to Hezbollah (and it seems likely that they could).  Israel can't (as a practical matter, at any rate) nuke Lebanon unprovoked, so even if Israel decided to go nuclear on Iran, Iran could launch a counterstrike from Lebanon. 

Posted by: Fa Cube Itches at April 14, 2010 04:02 PM (kmEfr)

72

I think an Israeli strike -- either reactive or preemptive -- is a feature here and not a bug.  Somebody (I haven't quite figured out who yet, although there are some heavy favorites) wants to start a shooting war.  I'd lay a pretty good bet (now that Hezbollah and probably Hamas are in on the act) of something happening before August too (and just in time to if not declare martial law here, at least distract the hell out of people...right before the elections). 

I also think if that were to happen Israel would be showing the world how such a war is won.  Syria has probably given Hez all of their old, defective shit -- it will cause problems, but it will not be effective militarily.  Don't count on the Syrians undying love for either them or the Iranians; they would like concessions on the Golan which they'll take any way they can get them, but they also aren't keen on a bunch of Palis and rabble rousers making life very difficult for them.

Posted by: unknown jane at April 14, 2010 04:15 PM (5/yRG)

73 56

Ken, the Katrina gun confiscation was another story blown way out of proportion in the same vein as Bush hates black people and murders and rapes were committed in the Superdome. If I'm correct, only a miniscule number of illegal searches were committed by Law Enforcement during a local crisis. (...)

Posted by: Samuel Adams at April 14, 2010 06:13 PM (nxUYP)

There was far more to the Katrina firearm confiscation than it merely being the acts of a few rogue police officers as you imply. Under the explicit orders of then-Chief of Police Eddie Compass, both the police AND National Guard members were marching door-to-door and confiscating firearms. And, in fact, the seizures didn't cease until the NRA filed a lawsuit against the city. These acts are now (presumably) more difficult thanks to the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006.

Posted by: Herr Blücher at April 14, 2010 04:22 PM (bYY2V)

74

Worst part is that I can't tell if Obama would consider this a foreign policy success or failure.

Posted by: Mark at April 14, 2010 05:37 PM (oR4vF)

75

Hezbollah is in Lebanon, right? And Lebanon is north of Israel, and south and west of Syria, i.e., between Israel and Syria, right?

If the Syrians are moving missles closer to Israel, why would they be sending longer range missles? That's a legitimate and reasonable question.

Did you get that curious information from Purple Avenger or from Gabriel Malor or from Maetenloch? In view of the circumstances here, that is a legitimate question, too. LOL

Posted by: Dianne & Brian at April 14, 2010 06:59 PM (ITzbJ)

76 What I'd like to know is why the Israelis did not act while Bush was still in office. Did they simply miscalculate that Obama would not be that bad. Did they not see Obama as hostile to Israel given his background and history?

Also, why did the Bush administration and the Israeli administration, together, not do something before Bush left office? Did the Bush administration restrain them? I hope someone asks Karl Rove this question. I'm sure he'll have yet another excuse for inaction on behalf of the Bush administration.

Posted by: Jon at April 14, 2010 07:50 PM (IIUTC)

77 If the Syrians are moving missles closer to Israel, why would they be sending longer range missles? Dianne & Brian, I will do you the courtesy of answering your question, even though the phrasing of it betrays your obtuseness. Hizbulla's Katyusha rockets were short-range, such that they could only strike the northern tip of Israel. They could just barely hit Tel Aviv, when the wind was right. Scuds, on the other hand, could cover all of Israel. Including Jerusalem, including the Dimona nuclear reactor, including anything else you could think of. As the original article clearly stated. You nimrods. ROFL!!!1!!

Posted by: Mastiff at April 14, 2010 09:11 PM (8dy/N)

78 But, but, but, Mastiff, Scud missiles are about as reliable, accurate and random as Germany's V-1 rockets were. They could fire one at Tel-Aviv and hit downtown Burbank, so to speak (if the wind was right), providing it didn't blow up in mid-air before it got there.  At least Katusha rockets are reliable and fairly accurate.

Posted by: Dianne & Brian at April 15, 2010 04:06 AM (ITzbJ)

79 Okay, are you putting me on?

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Posted by: pariuri sportive at April 25, 2011 10:38 AM (gtDqs)

86 drevenkaine, I'm a Christian familiar w/ the prophecies on the covenant confirmed by Antichrist (tho at that time he won't be *the* world leader, just *a* world leader, his global control comes later). Bible doesn't comment on whether the covenant is confirmed as a result of any war, but see no need for that, it could be done in present circumstances & is not a long-term peace agreement anyway, but only a 7-year deal (a hudna), something being talked about now, in lieu of final status agreement




Posted by: Hollisntq226 at May 08, 2011 09:28 AM (23UMr)

87  US is on a mission to clean up the old weapons in the<a href="http://thegloriousworldcup.com/index.php?title=Main_Page/"> mid-east</a>. And remove the demand for them-namely opponents. Thus, everyone b/c US customers. And get only the weapons enough to crush opposition. Israel gets whats needed to crush invasions. US keeps whats needed to dominate the world. Sharing some w/UK..their cousins. Russians can compete b/c they have all 3 elem. needed: oil,steel,skill. Nations lacking these 3 Cant do it. Israel can update OLD&New weapons b/c they have skill.

Posted by: Maryaizp267 at May 08, 2011 09:31 AM (23UMr)

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