Nassrallah has just condemned us all! On a whim or a premeditated plan, we are condemned!
Day are starting to look alike… a kind of limbo, we are alive but not really. I wake up aimless, eat but the food is tasteless…Panic is setting in but so are the old war habits, long lines in front of bakeries, fuel stations and groceries, people are hoarding goods like there is no tomorrow, and maybe there will not be… But at least the electricity is still on, four hours a day, but I fear not for long.
What is next…more death…destruction…But what befuddled me was those people exuberant with joy who drove around in their cars because Hezbollah hit an Israeli warship. Unbelievable we are getting destroyed back in to the Stone Age and they are happy… Good for them…just do not cry when our country is utterly destroyed, you want war than you should accept its consequences, and you should bear them alone, not make a whole people bear them with you…
All what I feel is intense anger against Hezbollah… and all who stand by them…
PEACE NOW
24 comments :
Finally, one wise voice, in a sea of madness.
Keep on writing, I wish you that one day you and your relatives can live in peace.
Good luck!
Hello from England, Bob. Lots of people are following this on the news etc., but we can only guess at what you feel. I doubt the whole of Lebanon will be trashed by the Israelis as it is only Hezbollah that they are after. I sincerely hope you will be OK, but I cannot see that Lebanon will be a nice place to live for some years after this.
Sadly the religion that the Hezbollah people follow was invented by a demon possessed Arab warlord, and it is not suprising that his followers are like him therefore. Keep your head down.
i hope this all comes to an end quickly. it is good to hear there are voices on both sides of the battle front calling for a peaceful resolution...
Shalom Achsav... Peace Now...
My heart goes out to you. I am in the US and believe I am in the extreme majority here. We do not hate Lebanon, we do not hate Muslims. We hate terrorists. 9/11 changed our lives and the world as we see and react to what happens in it. With each inhuman act such as the recent bombing of the trains in India, more and more of the world feels as we do. The concerns and demands of groups such as Hezballa will find less and less sympathy and aide. They will become nothing but empty voices with targets painted on them.
If only those targets were not among innocents such as yourself. This breaks my heart, I worry about it and pray for you all. Yet it still doesn't stem my hatred for Hezballa and my desire to see them gone competely from this earth.
May you and your loved ones be safe. May all the innocents in Lebanon be safe. May Israel break the back of Hezballa and not of your country.
It is inconceivable that British Tories would cross over to France, murder French soldiers, kidnap a few, and not have Britain suffer an immediate bombardment.
The Israeli public is totally fed up now. While Nasrullah plays the "hero," he has devastated Lebanon for nothing but the Islamist fixation on destroying Israel. Is there no vision whatsoever amongst the Arabs??
I see absolutely nothing in the Palestinian public that suggests they actually wish to build a nation state. They knew Exactly who they were voting in--a terrorist group of thugs whose openly stated agenda was the destruction of the sovereign nation next door. Withdrawal from Gaza created a launching pad for more terror...withdrawal from Lebanon, the same. Life will never be the same for Israelis--their illusions of peace are gone, and I doubt that they will ever again be able to unilaterally withdraw from territory without having forces that can manage the nutty Muslim terror groups that abound.
My take is that much like the rest of the Arab world, the Palestinians prefer the posturing of "resistance" (whatever the hell that is) to creating anything worthwhile in this world.
The agenda of fundamentalist Islam is the spread of Islam through violence. Islam is not a mere "religion," it is an expansionist socio-economic ideology as well, and unless there is an all-out war from within Islam to reform it, there will be continued war with Islamic states and their proxies.
My hunch is that if Iran doesn't pull back, it won't be long before the Israelis may be forced to use nuclear weapons. And as the west is progressively targetted by radical Islam, there seems to be less and less concern about that possibility.
The west is getting as fed up as the Israelis have been for ages.
I am sorry for the people of Lebanon--but terrorist groups (in or out of government) and peaceful coexistence with neighbors is not compatible. Now Israel has unleashed its power--and so far, just a fraction of it....
Courage!
you see reality, so you keep your mind safe even of yout body and your contry are suffering
Should We, around the world, come in Lebanon to expell Syrian-iranian influence, as people came in Spain in 1930 to save Republic?
Should we ask our goverments around the world to do it?
A contry like Lebanon, as to have a strong army to survive in middle east!
today israeli are decided to push Hezb 20km away their border but your multi cultural contry will desapear.
courage, be strong as a cedar!
Bob, as a jew who is 100% in favor of Israel's response to Hezbollah -and 100% upset by the deaths of ANY civillians (Israeli, Lebanese, Palestinian, each civillian death is its own tragedy), all I can say is stay strong, stay safe, and I hope that you and yours come out of this with as little harm as possible.
If you are interested in my analysis of Israel's response, checkout rallyingthebase.blogspot.com
I am an Israeli. Indeed, I am a "religious-fanatic-gun-toting-settler." I am completely behind my government's reaction to Hizbullah and its aim of disarming them. At the same time, I feel for the Lebanese people, who are suffering because the Hizbullah took it upon themselves to do something wholly contrary to their national interests. It is my hope, when this is over, that my leaders extend your leaders an olive branch, as they did with Jordan and Egypt, and to make bold moves towards greater stability and peace in the Levant. Today we have security and economic cooperation with Jordan. Perhaps with Lebanon this will one day be the case as well. I hope no ill comes to you, and that the number of innocents killed in our raids against Hizbullah is kept to an absolute minimum.
For some reason the bombing of Lebanon by Israel has hurt me a lot ... it is sad that the most progressive and westward thinking Arab country in the Middle East is seeing this. I have so many Lebanese friends, and my heart goes out to you. Stay strong. I pray for Peace. Armenia will always and forever be with Lebanon, her people and her spirit.
Peace....Inshallah.
Hi I am an Israeli citizen who is sick and tired of Hizballah agression after we pulled out of Lebanon, I support the attack against Hizballah. As a Neighbor I wish peace will come between the good people of Lebanon and Israel. I know there are many others in Lebanon who are sick of Hizballa ruining lebanon due to their fanatic culture. I can not understand those who support them, even those who wish to hate Israel fine, but why support a terrorist organazation which clearly has their own agenda or maybe Syria's and Iran's but certainly not the wellbeing of lebanon in their hearts. May our countries and our peoples know a true peace.
Greetings From London.
I am so sorry about what you have to go through. It is crazy that Lebanon is being ruined because of Hezbollah, but you must understand that the Israelis do not want to ruin lebanon but simply want to eliminate Hezbollah because the majority of your people do not want to do this job themselves. Hezbollah are the real enemies of Lebanon, Israelis want peace with you and to see your country do well as it will be good for everyone, but its too late now because the main hostages of Hezbollah is not the 2 soldiers but the Lebanese people. you must protest and do whatever you can to get rid of Hezbollah as they belong in Iran and not in your country. They are sucking your blood...
Hi. I am an Israeli citizen, and very much feel for you and the many other peace-loving Lebanese. Israel has been dragged into yet another conflict that it did not want (to all those who think Israel did want this - why did she wait around for 6 yrs while Hizbullah amassed weapons in front of her eyes?), and I know of no Israelis who take pleasure in the destruction and loss of life in your country.
We can only hope that Hizbullah is defeated soon, so that Israel can pull out, knowing her citizens are safe.
It is such a pity that a country as beautiful as yours is abused by so many outside factors.
Wishing you well, and looking forward to a time when we can all live in peace and prosperity.
Just a Canadian representing nobody but myself, but I wanted to say that I think it's tragic that Hizbullah chose to take the entire population of Lebanon hostage, along with the Israeli soldiers.
I look forward to the day when I can visit Lebanon -- I've heard much about its beauty, and I hope that beauty remains unscarred by the wars of men.
May you remain safe and well amidst the current chaos.
As a Jew I am behind the Israeli response to Hizballah aggression but my heart goes out to the innocent in Lebanon who have not asked for the conflict and are being offered up as sacrifices to the madness of Hizballah and the agendas of Syria and Iran.
May Lebanon find the strength to destroy Hizballah and may it be rebuilt in time to be a safe haven for all Lebanese.
My best wishes for your safety and may we see the end of this madness soon.
I am an American Jew who supports Israel's right to defend her citizens. But please do not misinterpret this...
I know that most Lebanese people are good-hearted, friendly, educated people who want to live in peace with Israel, and I know Israelis want to live in peace with Lebanon. It's the Hizballah occupation of Lebanon that has prevented this from happening. I am so sorry that you all are caught in the crossfire and am praying for your safety.
I pray that this conflict will result in the elimination of Hizballah so that Israelis no longer live under the barrage of rockets, The Lebanese can finally reclaim their coutry's sovereignty from their occupiers, and Lebanon and Israel can live as peaceful neighbors.
Shalom/Salaam/Peace
I am an american jew who always loved Lebanon and the Lebanese people. Remain steadfast and hold on.Get rid of this Hezbollah-vermin. There use to be a saying: Nobody knows who will be the first Arab country that will make peace with Israel, but everybody knows who will be second: Lebanon. It didn't happen, thanks to Arafat and et al. Now there is a good chance. You have the most beautiful beaches. You had the best banking system.....Remain steadfast and get rid of terrorism, ignorance. Prosper in friendly competition with Israel. Show what a miracle peace and commerce with your neighbour is. Please remain steadfast.
Is this true?
The IDF has found that Hizbullah is preventing civilians from leaving villages in southern Lebanon. Roadblocks have been set up outside some of the villages to prevent residents from leaving, while in other villages Hizbullah is preventing UN representatives from entering, who are trying to help residents leave. In two villages, exchanges of fire between residents and Hizbullah have broken out. (Hanan Greenberg)
Hello from the US - please stay strong
Hezbollah's Iranian Connection
Prior to the rise of the Shia in Iraq, Hezbollah -- as a radical Shiite Islamist organization -- was Iran's main asset in the Arab world. In fact, it likely will continue to be used by Tehran as a key tool for furthering Iranian geopolitical interests in the region, until such time as Shiite power has been consolidated in Baghdad and Iran's interests there secured.
In its earliest days, Hezbollah was a classic militant organization -- the creation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the elite unit of the Iranian military. It was founded as a way to export the ideals of Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini's Islamic revolution to the Shiite community of Lebanon, and served as a model for follow-on organizations (some even using the same name) in other Arab states. It did not take long, however, for Hezbollah to emerge in Lebanon as a guerrilla movement, whose fighters were trained in conventional military tactics.
In the mid-1980s, Iran's premier intelligence agency, the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), assumed the task of managing Tehran's militant assets -- not just in the Middle East but in other parts of the world as well. This allowed the Iranians, through a special unit within MOIS, to strike at Israeli interests in places as diverse as Latin America and Southeast Asia.
The relationship between MOIS and Hezbollah remains a subject worthy of study in light of the current situation in Lebanon. Of course, Iran has been Hezbollah's chief source of funding and weapons over the years, and the Iranians continue to supply extensive training in weapons, tactics, communications, surveillance and other methods to the militant wing of Hezbollah in Lebanon. The relationship is sufficiently close that the Hezbollah branch in Iran proper recently declared it would unleash militant attacks against Israelis and Americans around the world if given the order by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Tehran insists that Hezbollah is not an arm of official policy.)
We have previously discussed the possibility that Hezbollah might be moved to seize hostages or engage in other militant acts, given the pressure the Israelis now are bringing to bear. There is some question, of course, as to whether Iran might be involved in future militant operations -- and if so, what assets it might use and the modalities that would apply.
An Organizational Model
There is a division of labor of sorts in the way that Iran manages its foreign assets: The IRGC (which is led by a professional military officer with strong ideological credentials as an Islamist) oversees the Lebanese Hezbollah, while MOIS (which almost always is headed by a cleric) manages militant operatives and groups in other parts of the Muslim world -- Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, India. Moreover, MOIS also maintains contacts among the Shiite immigrant populations in non-Muslim countries, including those in the West.
It also is important to note that radical Shiite Islamist ideology is only one factor that shapes Tehran's decisions. Ethnicity and nationalism also play an important role in Iran's dealings with Shiite allies of Arab, South Asian and other descent. The Persians claim a rich cultural heritage, which they view as superior to that of the Arabs. This attitude impacts the level of trust and cooperation between the Iranians and other Shiite groups -- including Hezbollah -- when it comes to sensitive international operations. It is little wonder, then, that the Lebanese organization's sphere of operations does not extend much beyond the Levant.
It follows that Hezbollah is a useful tool for Iran in its dealings with Israel, but in few other areas. However, Iranian intelligence has cultivated numerous groups that can serve its interests in other parts of the world, and it maintains contact with these groups through MOIS operatives placed in diplomatic posts.
A History of Cooperation
Though it has been many years since Hezbollah carried out significant attacks beyond the Middle East, the participation of MOIS agents in some of those attacks is worthy of note. Investigations into the 1988 hijacking of Kuwait Airways Flight 422 out of Bangkok and two bombings in Buenos Aires -- in 1992 and 1994 -- both revealed involvement by MOIS, coordinating with local Hezbollah operatives. However, to provide plausible deniability, the hijacking and bomb teams were deployed from outside the targeted country; the assets in place were used to conduct preoperational surveillance on potential targets.
Up close, what this would mean is that the MOIS officer at the Iranian embassy in the target country or city would maintain close contact with the Hezbollah cells in his area or responsibility. Given the rules of intelligence work, an "official asset" like a diplomat is usually under suspicion and surveillance as an intelligence officer (or IO); therefore, less-prominent Hezbollah members can be used to case potential targets. In a situation where a MOIS agent is believed to be under such tight surveillance that he cannot function effectively, the Iranians might call on the services of a clandestine MOIS agent instead. In the case of the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, the MOIS officer was the Iranian cultural attache, who oversaw the operation from the safety of his embassy office. The Argentines eventually declared seven embassy employees as "persona non grata" due to suspected connections to the bombing.
Upon receiving a "go" order for an operation -- such as assassinations of Iranian dissidents or the kidnappings of Western diplomatic and intelligence personnel (for instance, CIA station chief William F. Buckley in 1984 and U.S. Marine Lt. Col. William R. Higgins in 1988) -- activity levels at the embassy spike. The role of MOIS frequently would be to provide the cash or supply weapons or materials needed for an attack carried out by its "militant assets." In some countries, such as Britain (where Hezbollah bombed a Jewish charity in 1994), it can be difficult to obtain items like blasting caps and explosives; these can be supplied with the protection of a diplomatic pouch.
Many MOIS intelligence operatives have been educated in the United States or in Britain, wear nice suits, are multilingual and move easily in Western social circles -- unlike the IRGC operatives in Lebanon, who, socially speaking, are rougher around the edges. The combination of their brains and Hezbollah's willingness to pursue martyrdom can produce highly formidable capabilities.
With Hezbollah under attack in Lebanon and Iran unable to send significant reinforcements, there is some possibility that Hezbollah might resort to staging an attack abroad as a way of countering the Israeli assault. If so, it is highly likely that operatives already are on the move; the organization has been known to use "off the shelf" operational plans in the past, and its targeting information and surveillance would need to be updated -- regardless of whether an order to strike is actually issued. It is reasonable to believe that Hezbollah would find it advantageous to coordinate with MOIS again, as in past operations. Whether the Iranians would see events through the same lens, however, is much less clear. Tehran might cooperate in an attack only if it is willing to seriously escalate the current conflict in the Middle East -- which, given its many interests in the region, does not appear so far to be the case.
Send questions or comments on this article to analysis@stratfor.com.
I heard that the Hezbollah is shooting anyone who tries to runaway and save themselves. I've seen it with my one eyes. My friend ali, his uncle was shot by a hezbollah man. this is terrible. Please, disarm hezbollah from it's weapon.
Until you are willing to lay down your lives: Life,liberty,and the pursuit of happiness will always elude your countries. You will remain prisoners in your own country until you have the courage to defeat terrorism. There are no victims, only cowards. The future is in YOUR hands.
As an American Jew I am ashamed of the response by Israel and the US to destroy Bob's country for the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers. It seems like total overreaction, as Hizbollah is not an "official" government sponsored army of Lebanon,and Lebanon is too weak to disarm it. Seeing row after row of civilian apartment buildings destroyed by Israeli jets will not help the Israeli cause at all. War is not peace. War will not achieve peace in the middle east until the Palestinian people recieve justice. I may be in a minority in America, and certainly seem to be in a minority as compared to the Israeli postings here. But so be it. I remain...
OtherVoice
Terrorists wage war on terror, and the victims are blamed for the injustice caused to them.
Strange times indeed
A victim is someone who is blameless such as an innocent child. The term victim does not apply to those who set by and allow the blameless to become victims. peace to all!
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