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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Leb PM Hariri Backs Hezbollah |
| 2010-02-10 |
| Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri says he is concerned about "escalating" threats posed to the Middle East by Israel. Mr Hariri told the BBC that Israeli planes were entering Lebanese airspace every day, and he feared the prospect of another war with Israel. He accused Israel of making a huge mistake by allegedly threatening both Lebanon and neighbouring Syria. "We see what's happening on the ground and in our airspace and what's happening all the time during the past two months - every day we have Israeli planes entering Lebanese airspace. "This is something that is escalating, and this is something that is really dangerous." Mr Hariri also said that Lebanon was united, and that the government would stand by Hezbollah - the Lebanese militant group which fought Israel in 2006. "I think they're betting that there might be some division in Lebanon, if there is a war against us. Well, there won't be a division in Lebanon. We will stand against Israel. We will stand with our own people." |
| Posted by:Pstanley |
| #4 Mike, Hizbollah and the Syrians he wants to stand with against Israel are the guys who blew his dad into very small pieces. I suspect at the moment he is facing the choice of having himself and his remaining family blown up by Hezbollah today or whatever Israel is going to do next week. Given the choice between exploding today or exploding next week, what would you pick? Maybe something will happen between now and next week. In the meantime, I have my doubts about the general strategy; Israel can't really deter any Lebanese besides Hezbollah because they don't get to make decisions anyway. And if they want to deter Hezbollah, they'd be better off threatening Damascus and Teheran than Beirut, as they're currently doing. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2010-02-10 15:05 |
| #3 PM Hariri can't do a damned thing about it, Mike, and he knows it. So do the Israelis, who have announced that with the formal inclusion of Hizb'allah into the Lebanese government all of Lebanon will be treated as equally responsible for Hizb'allah actions against Israel. The next phase of the Lebanon-Israel war may well result in rubble up to the Syrian border. Or beyond the Syrian border, if current posturing on both sides is to be believed. How much more would Israel see from fly-overs than they would from satellites and drones? I know Israeli planes periodically break the sound barrier over Damascus as a reminder to the bad guys that they can, with impunity. Would that be a primary or secondary motivation for similar behaviour over Lebanon -- "Behave or we'll bring something you don't like"? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-02-10 14:27 |
| #2 I wonder if Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is also equally concerned about the buildup of Hezbollah men and the overwhelming amount of rocket munitions imported into his country, all aimed at Israel? Maybe that's why Israel is 'violating' he airspace to find out how much and where all these weapons are. ya think? |
| Posted by: Mike Hunt 2010-02-10 11:28 |
| #1 At the narrow passage there is no brother, no friend. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2010-02-10 03:40 |