Middle East - A Week To Go

So the MSM tells us. It does make sense. The object is to destroy Hezbollah without turning the thing into a regional war. Unfortunately, that war may have to one day be fought as regards Iran, but for now, it looks like taking down Hezbollah while embarrassing Syria and Iran  is the working plan.

For rolling coverage, check for updates at Pajamas Media

Hot Air has updates and insights, as well, and remember, TLB has regional blogs.

For rolling coverage, check for updates at Pajamas Media

Hot Air has updates and insights, as well, and remember, TLB has regional blogs.

Comments

[K]

The comment is correct. They may have to fight Iran. Or we may. That time is not now. Perhaps Iran and Syria will show more sense about war than they seem to possess.

Syria, oddly enough, may be the greater danger. Iran is a big nation with many resources. They are under little pressure provided they will govern sanely, get along with a few UN resolutions, and not help terrorists. But Syria, with their Baath Party, has no real friends, little strength, and may already be unstable internally. So Syria may just blow, attack Israel, try to drag Iran in, in fact try anything to keep their current clique in power.

I seldom think about the situation. Almost no group is sane so everything is conjecture.

[Carol Herman]

I think Iraq will establish the last country where we give weight to "change the regime." There are just too many tribal and special interests that look to grab countries. And, put them in their pockets. There's just a history of this. With russia being the first "dream" to go bust.

Why were we successful with the Japanese? We fought till there really was a victory for us. And, utter defeat for Nippon.

While Douglas MacArthur, using the Ulysses S. Grant textbook, fought the war against the Japs BRILLIANTLY. And, then succeeded in convincing all those that needed convincing, that you don't add DISGRACE to your enemies' woes. For this reason Hirohito was kept alive. He had the stature of signing the surrender.

Don't laugh. But you don't have a good contract if the person signing the surrender doesn't carry weight with his countrymen. There was nothing there, in Iraq. After Saddam fell. Just a bunch of arab opportunists. So the bazaar got opened.

When Fallujah happened it would have been better to go ISRAEL on Sadr and his gang of lunatics. But Bush saw that the Iraqi parliament, especially sistani, didn't want to do this.

Over the long run our men are getting experienced in fighting in the underbelly of the world. They'll come back better equipped at knowing that there's no policy in the world that works with tent dwellers. The choices are just that grim.

That's why we're not gonna fight in iran. That it's a toilet? It's been a toilet since the Shah was deposed. And, he was Iran's last great hope.

Lebanon is full of similar experiences.

While, though the europeans, and the UN, while we might not like it much; we're not going to export democracy.

Not until we can push a country to the wall, so that when they surrender they mean it. France never did. It's like watching men move their lips. But their hearts are never in the words.

In cases like that we'll fight as Special Forces do. And, as we do in Afghanistan. An armpit place on this globe, if ever there was one. But at least the Taliban are OUT. The arabs couldn't hold onto their gains, either. And, the drug trade also goes on, unimpeded.

Few people know this. But when the shipping opened up lanes by going around Africa; towards the "spice islands," what was being sold ... was the same crap that sold during the caravan routes. But got delivered with less piracy along the way. And, "spice" is just another name for hallucinagens. Just in case you thought it meant "pepper." No. But it did mean CASH. Portugal got very wealthy. And, Portugal really did have the best maritime going. So you couple this stuff, together. Columbus' trip was small potatoes, in comparison.

What's next? I doubt many AMericans dream of colonizing the world. Or the moon. Or Mars. That's just human nature. We want to be able to trade. And, our military will do everything possible so that trade can be done. While here and there the bad guys slip through. Just like there are drunks on the road. Signs telling people not to drive drunk doesn't help all that much, ya know? And, the best you can do is strap yourself in. And, drive as defensively as possible. Expect bottlenecks, too. Leave early if you have to keep your nerves at bay.

While iran's a mess. It rattles the timbers at CNN. Does it matter? The new EXPRESS is the Internet. More people who can read are here than looking for news from nitwits, elites and propagandists.

You want a perfect world? Well, nobody's ever figured out a way to close the whore houses. Maybe, it's better to know that business can be taken care of. Strategies promogulated. While the bad guys, for the most part, fly by the seats of their pants.

And, the diplomats, for the most part, just dance in their pants.

Israel left Lebanon six years ago. There were all sorts of opporunity for growth. Maybe, it's just not inside the psyche? Instead, more than just Abbas sat around with this schtick of "being too weak" ... while cashing all the checks that came in. Maybe, they made it look effortless?

Maybe,too, the Poles will stop being the butts of jokes? How many Poles does it take to screw in a light bulb? Obviously fewer than it would take arabs. Who'd have no place to put the bulbs when they're inside their tents. Who wear their bedsheets, because they have no closets. Just a bunch of camels that hang about, outdoors. They weren't really ready for civilization.

So, up ahead, they're still gonna follow the illiterate dude in the black hat. And, I expect they'll stay as dellusional as ever. Blaming Israel. While Israel would like nothing better than to seal its borders and live in safety.

Maybe, if they hold their lightbulbs up in the air they'll figure out what works from what doesn't? But they don't make light bulbs. They make outdoor fires from camel poop, though. When they're not screaming, they're hiding. And, they like to dig tunnels. BIG DEAL.

As long as these idiots bring AK-47s to weddings, there's no hope for them.

[Rick]

A very good read there Carol. I would've gone much farther back than Russia's asperations though. Sorta left out the brits the french and a host of other western and eastern nations to before Christ. But very good otherwoise

[Stormy70]

I think this story is a load of crap. Israel won't stop when they have 90% of their citizens behind them crushing Hezbollah. This is just Europeans trying to turn the media battle against Israel by putting out a definitive timetable, so when Israel keeps going, Israel looks like they are defying the "world community". Don't fall for it, Israel. Pound the Hezzies into hell.

I would encourage you to check out Ynet news updates. They mentioned the Israeli cabinet voting to continue the operation until Hezbollah's missile capability is destroyed. It also gives a roundup of targets that were hit, and why they were hit. For instance, several of Hezbollah's finacial buildings have been destroyed.

[rwilymz]

"They mentioned the Israeli cabinet voting to continue the operation until Hezbollah's missile capability is destroyed."

Then they actually need to go in. They can't stand back and toss shells, or fly over and drop bombs. No matter how smart the bombs are, they can't physically take a tactical position away from the enemy.

Israel is futzing around and drawing it out.

[tracker]

Seems to me that Israel has attacked Lebanon, not Hezbollah. They have hit the Lebanese Army, for example. Just look at the casualty figures. The Lebanese are being butchered and the MSM and the commenters here are cheering from the sidelines. Stop the Bloodshed!

[rwilymz]

"Seems to me that Israel has attacked Lebanon, not Hezbollah"

Lebanon is the nation in charge of that territory, and they are not doing what they're supposed to be doing.

This could be for a few reasons:
1] they can't
2] they won't

We can immediately comprehend why they can't: they're a very weak nation.

But we can also immediately understand why they won't: the Lebanese government is extremely pro-Syrian and Syria is the patron of Hezbollah.

Now, the government of Lebanon is not as pro-Syrian as it was a few months ago, but Syria -- generally incompetent as a fighting force though they are -- is still considerably stronger than Lebanon, and would not be above [or beneath] invading Lebanon themselves to stop them from putting down Hezbollah. The only regional military the Syrians fear is Israel.

"Stop the Bloodshed!"

Then stop bootlicking the people who start it.

[Phoenix]

Carol's piece could not have covered everything in history, obviously. But what she did cover is what everyone always leaves out - human nature and the part it plays in any historical event.

Bravo, Carol.