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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Hizbullah terrorists 'more highly prepared' than ever for Israel |
| 2004-08-21 |
Special to World Tribune.com MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE Friday, August 20th, 2004 NICOSIA — Hizbullah said it is better prepared than ever for a military confrontation with Israel. The Iranian-sponsored insurgency group has built a formidable array of defenses and gathered an arsenal in southern Lebanon for an attack on Israel. Hizbullah said its forces have been trained for war with Israel along its border with Lebanon. "We are now highly prepared to face Israel," Hizbullah deputy secretary-general Naim Qassem said. "We are more highly prepared than at any previous time." In an interview with the Beirut-based Daily Star, Qassem said Hizbullah has opened a second front against Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He acknowledged that Hizbullah has provided Palestinian insurgents with financing, training and weaponry. "The battle with Israel is not at an end," Qassem said on Wednesday. "We are always in expectation of an Israeli attack in Lebanon. That's why Hizbullah continues with its logistics and training to prepare its members for any eventuality in facing attacks by Israel." Israeli officials said Hizbullah has deployed 12,000 rockets and missiles in Lebanon. The group restructured its command in 2002 amid accelerated training from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. On Aug. 17, the Kuwaiti daily Al Siyassa reported that two cargo aircraft landed in Damascus in early August with 220 missiles for Hizbullah. The newspaper quoted Syrian opposition sources in London as saying that the enhanced Iranian missiles have a range of between 250 and 350 kilometers and could hit any target in Israel. Al Siyassa said the missiles were transported in Lebanese and Syrian trucks to three Hizbullah military bases along the Syrian border. The newspaper said the missiles would be used in response to any Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. In July, Hizbullah accused Israel of assassinating a senior operative, Ghaleb Awali. Alawi was identified by Hizbullah as its liasion with Palestinian insurgency groups. In the interview, Qassem said Hizbullah sought to fight Israel along any front. He said his group constantly sought to exploit deficiencies in Israel's military. "We believe we should stand by the side of the Palestinians because it is our cause too, for religious reasons and moral reasons," Qassem said. "That's why we support the uprising with all the means we can. You can put anything you want under 'all.'" In an appearance on Wednesday, Qassem rejected U.S. efforts to end the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. He said Washington did not have any right to interfere in Lebanon's domestic or foreign policy. "We, the Lebanese, have chosen the presence of Syrian troops," Qassem said. "If, one day, we decide that this presence is no longer necessary then they will withdraw. But we believe that they are a necessity for Lebanon." Meanwhile, Hassan Nasrallah was given a rousing endorsement for his continued leadership of the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah. Nasrallah, 44, was elected unanimously to continue for at least another three years as secretary-general of Hizbullah. He has been in the post since 1992. A Hizbullah statement on Monday said the national congress reelected all of the members of the Shura Council. In turn, the seven-member consultative council chose Nasrallah to remain as chief of the insurgency group. This will be Nasrallah's fifth term. Nasrallah has been a founding member of Hizbullah, and replaced the late Abbas Mussawi, assassinated by Israel, in 1992. He frequently travels to Teheran to consult with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and ruling clerics regarding Hizbullah strategy. Under Nasrallah, Hizbullah forced Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon in 2000 and then took over the area. The group, which launches regular attacks on Israeli troops and civilians, was said to have 12,000 rockets and missiles along the Israeli-Lebanese border. The statement said the Shura Council would announce the portfolios of its members of the new few days. Hizbullah, regarded by the State Department as the leading Islamic insurgency group in the world, has also participated in Lebanese politics. The group has nine legislators in the 128-member parliament.(but terrifies the rest of Lebanon) |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |
| #13 Zen - is it a sign of the Apocalypse when you and I start consistently agreeing? Pretty scary, eh, Frank? After all, there is that plague of locusts. Maybe it's time to stock up on canned food again. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-08-21 11:58:12 PM |
| #12 ROFL! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-21 11:54:07 PM |
| #11 Zen - is it a sign of the Apocalypse when you and I start consistently agreeing? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-08-21 11:44:00 PM |
| #10 Isn't it about time for Israel to do another run of June 5, 1967? Egypt is making idiotic demands with respct to Gaza. Lebanon, as ever, is sequestering Hizbullah and the Palestinians have been begging for a "market correction" for some time now. The festering puss filled sore that surrounds Israel like some mutant ringworm really needs to be cauterized. A6137, if it isn't anti-Semitic hate that is driving the entire region, pray tell what is it? Israel and the Jews in particular have been the Arabian whipping boy for untold centuries. When is it going to stop? And don't give me any crap about when there's finally a Palestinian state. Does anyone honestly think that this inbred, entrenched Jew hating mentality will evaporate overnight if the roadmap magically gets followed for a change? mhw, after a certain point, watching grown adults seethe, rankle and simmer in a constant stew of unrelenting desire for genocide just doesn't cut the mustard. Anyone capable of desiring genocide can just as easily imagine themselves being on the receiving end. If this simple logical inversion is beyond the metative capacity of these "poor lackeys," they need to Fuck Off And Die. As with terrorism in general, this world has much more important priorities - like famine, illiteracy & epidemics - than pandering to a bunch of mentally impaired thugs and their goons. If coexistence is so difficult to comprehend, then they have forfeited their right to basic existence. When you consider the ultimate upshot of what these Arab fanatics want, namely theocracy and global cultural genocide, then it's time to pull the plug. Coexist peacefully or die, no options. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-08-21 11:11:01 PM |
| #9 mhw - Your comment is from the same mold as anon's. Sigh. If you see something salvagable in Hizbullah and the SyrLeb society that spawns them, be my guest -- provide all the pity you can muster. Get some friends together and group hug. In reality, it won't mean shit. You do understand that, right? If it assuages your sense of guilt, knock yourself out. Pull overtime. But stay the fuck out of the way when those you pity decide to go on another killing spree, K? And, should the urge overwhelm you to wag your finger at reality again, give it your best shot to resist. Big hug. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-21 10:58:49 PM |
| #8 Yes you can hate the leaders of the Arab terrorist groups but you should still pity the poor lackeys who do not have access to any information beyond the local mosque and the govt approved radio broadcasts. |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-08-21 10:39:43 PM |
| #7 hmmm, I stand by mine as well, that's why I have the courage, Anon, to use a consistent nametag here, 2+ (3?) yrs. When you do the same, I'll respect you for that, but still wipe the floors with your incomplete and inaccurate comments, k? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-08-21 10:24:12 PM |
| #6 I don't hate them - I can't even muster enough emotion to pity them. They're beneath it - and prove it every fucking day. And you're just a twitty little troll who thinks he's clever. Not by half, moron. Can you read? Do you understand context? In the context of this article, I stand by my comments without hesitation. You haven't made any points, junior, you've just had a brain fart. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-21 10:14:08 PM |
| #5 mr .com speaking of hate - you seem to have a pretty good handle on it. |
| Posted by: Anonymous6137 2004-08-21 10:10:31 PM |
| #4 Dead right, bro. If they're incapable of respecting another's right to live - then they forfeit their own. I lost respect for their "system" long ago - both the words and the practice. Now I've lost respect for their right to exist. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-21 10:09:48 PM |
| #3 PD - I think the false respect we show their loser culture only encourages this as well, reinforcing the mythical Islamic Heroes™ image as they beat their wives, kill Joooos and Christians and generally regress as a culture, a people, and a society. Time for |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-08-21 9:55:25 PM |
| #2 It's remarkable to me that the Arab mind just never gets it. They prepare for "battle" with technology 2 or 3 generations behind the curve to face a modern army. In their tiny skewed world view, this makes some sort of sense. They believe their belief system makes up the difference - just because. Then, when shit & fan meet, and they're getting whacked at a 20-30 to one rate, they wave a magic wand and bluster that any deaths they cause are "victories" and the stuff of legend. Nothing and no one is off limits - even killing children rates a celebration. The disconnect is beyond comprehension. A hate-filled hate-based hate-inspired hate-driven "society" that eats, drinks, sleeps, breathes, pisses, and shits hate. They gargle hate and spit hate. Generation upon generation. Endless and pointless. Faux political systems, faux belief systems, faux values, faux bravery, faux bluster, faux honor, faux life. Nothing to save, here. Boggles. Kill 'em if they even blink funny in your general direction. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-21 9:49:10 PM |
| #1 really? When the Apches arrive will they be as prepared? "here, catch this" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-08-21 9:33:08 PM |