Archived material Access restricted Article
Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Sat 02/16/2008 View Fri 02/15/2008 View Thu 02/14/2008 View Wed 02/13/2008 View Tue 02/12/2008 View Mon 02/11/2008 View Sun 02/10/2008
1
2008-02-16 Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran and Israel Poised for Possible Military Clash over Mughniyeh’s Death
Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.
Posted by lotp 2008-02-16 10:36|| || Front Page|| [10 views ]  Top

#1 CNN's idea:

An intriguing conspiracy theory emanating unexpectedly from Western sources was suggested by the veteran CNN correspondent Jim Clancy. In his view, Mughniyeh, the consummate master of deception, may still be alive. Others took the theory further and suggested his death may have been fabricated to provide Iran, Syria and Hizballah with a strong casus belli to attack Israel without further delay, and so repeat the Arabs’ Yom Kippur success 35 years ago in catching Israel unawares.

what the hell.... here's an idea lotp...

idea: Latent Pregnancy.

Perhaps Imad Mughniyeh was offed in an time honored, Islamic Honor killing?

He became preggers, or had a dream, false preggers.. and was stoned to death in Damascus?

/Rapporteur™ is easy!
Posted by RD">RD  2008-02-16 13:58||   2008-02-16 13:58|| Front Page Top

#2 Interesting idea. But it would require everybody in the Iranian heirarchy be stupid enough to think that the world in general would accept as a causus belli the murder of a terrorist so toxic that the mourners had pretended him a nonentity up to the very moment of the news of his alleged death.

Now, I'm not saying that isn't possible. The Iranians occasionally seem to live in Red Queen Land. It just doesn't seem very plausible out here in the real world.
Posted by Mitch H.">Mitch H.  2008-02-16 16:39|| http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/]">[http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/]  2008-02-16 16:39|| Front Page Top

#3 I'm sure Iran and Israel would have just lived in peace if Mughniyeh had survived. Iran doesn't even need a pretext, just a time.
Posted by rjschwarz 2008-02-16 16:41||   2008-02-16 16:41|| Front Page Top

#4 ;-) RD

Still, if Mughniyeh's death was faked, it wouldn't be the Arabs or Iran that would be saying so.
Posted by lotp 2008-02-16 16:53||   2008-02-16 16:53|| Front Page Top

#5 This ignores the obvious. If Iran plans to attack Israel, how?

The only offensive force in the area is Syria, and if they tried invading Israel, not only would the Israelis chop them up, but the US would conquer Syria before the sun set, with top combat division right next door.

Hezbollah has no capability for a ground offensive.

Missiles fired from Iran would have to cross Iraq and US air defenses, some of the thickest in the world right now, then contend with Israeli air defenses, also pretty impressive.

The Syrians and Hezbollah might try a missile barrage, but the Israelis have fortified the heck out of their northern border with both typical ADA but also Phalanx weapons. And after both Syria and Hezbollah shot their wad, Israeli missile retaliation would be a mother.

Something Israel has not demonstrated yet, but would leave a lasting impression, to say the least. And they wouldn't even need to go nuclear.
Posted by Anonymoose 2008-02-16 17:05||   2008-02-16 17:05|| Front Page Top

#6 Quato Lives!
Posted by doc 2008-02-16 18:57||   2008-02-16 18:57|| Front Page Top

#7 Muggsie piled up a lot of IOUs over the years.
Posted by JohnQC 2008-02-16 20:47||   2008-02-16 20:47|| Front Page Top

#8 rolf doc, i had to google Quato, verrry funny doc!
Posted by RD">RD  2008-02-16 21:26||   2008-02-16 21:26|| Front Page Top

23:51 Sherry
23:46 trailing wife
23:45 trailing wife
23:12 GK
23:06 smn
22:57 Anonymoose
22:52 Jan
22:51 smn
22:45 www
22:42 smn
22:40 Old Patriot
22:07 RD
21:46 Dutch Elms Disease
21:42 Jan
21:26 RD
21:22 Frank G
21:07 JohnQC
21:04 Rob Crawford
21:03 Rob Crawford
21:01 JohnQC
21:01 Deacon Blues
20:49 JohnQC
20:47 JohnQC
20:43 JohnQC









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com