Syrian jets fire into Lebanon, reports say

[Bosonic]

Source: CNN

Two Syrian jets fired three rockets that hit empty buildings near the Lebanese town of Arsal near the Syrian border Monday, a local source said. There were no injuries, according to the source.

Also, Lebanese state-run news agency NNA reported that Syrian warplanes attacked sites in northern Lebanon.

This latest violence comes as the Syrian conflict enters its third year. The unrest started in March 2011 when President Bashar al-Assad's government launched a fierce crackdown on protesters. The discontent evolved into a full-blown civil war that has left more than 70,000 dead and more than 1 million refugees.

One result of the warfare is the spillover of fighting and refugee displacement into neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/18/world/meast/lebanon-syria-airstrikes/index.html

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U.S. State Department confirms Syrian government fired rockets into Lebanon, describing it as "a significant escalation"

https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/313711147935232001

[geek tragedy]

1. Will the Lebanese government complain or thank its

puppetmaster for exercising restraint in the violation of its sovereignty?

[Comrade Grumpy]

2. Syria warned Lebanon last week that it was going to go after rebel sanctuaries...

...if Lebanon did not act. I think Syria just punctuated that point.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Do you have a link to that?

I must have missed it. I saw the title of the article and was perplexed as to why Syria would attack Lebanon, especially given the amount of influence it still has over Lebanon. If what you are saying was reported is correct, this puts an entirely new spin on what is happening.

[Bosonic]

4. Syria threatens to strike at rebels in Lebanon

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014425790

[Behind the Aegis]

7. Thanks!!

I have no idea how I missed it. I appreciate it.

[John2]

6. If you really

want to know, then you need to understand the political structure of Lebanon. They have a divided Government controled by religious factions. The three main factions are Christians (represented by the President), Sunni (represented by one part of the Legislature) and Shia ( who has the Speaker and also a member of Hezbullah). The same Hezbullah backed by Syria and Iran. Syria probably attacked the Sunni area. since they are probably the main culprits backing the opposition in Syria. A little over 27 percent of Lebanon is reported to be Shites while another 27 percent are Sunni. There also Alawites and Druze among the population and a considerable population of Christian Arabs. There are also over 400,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. The only way to keep Lebanon stable is to give each group equal representation in the Government. Both Syria and Israel has invaded that country in the past. The only thing will unite them again is if Israel invaded Lebanon again because the country is over 90 percent Arab.

[Behind the Aegis]

8. I am aware of the Lebanese govermental structure, as it is.

[pampango]

5. In 1970 Nixon warned Cambodia that the US would bomb rebel sanctuaries there

if it did not act. And we did. Not one of America's better moments. Just because you give a country a week's warning does not necessarily make bombing it a justifiable act.

[Comrade Grumpy]

9. There is a slight difference in the present case, though.

Syria is protecting its national territory, not trying to win an imperial war on a different continent.

I think in most cases, most nations would assert the right to attack rebel sanctuaries just across the border. Just ask the Turks, who have no problem attacking the PKK in Iraq while unironically providiing sanctuary to Syrian rebels.

[pampango]

10. A dictator is protecting his own skin. Lebanon is not launching an invasion of Syria.

And just because Turkey does it does not make it OK.

[Comrade Grumpy]

11. And Syria is not launching an invasion Lebanon.

The Assad regime is more than "a dictator." There is a broad swathe of Syrian society that supports the regime, another that doesn't, and a whole bunch of people who would just like to live in peace.

As a general principle, is it okay for rebels to use cross-border sanctuaries to attack countries? Is that what you're arguing? I'm not sure what international law is on this, but I think self-defense might apply.

[fujiyama]

14. Thanks for being the resident Assad apologist

I think I've seen everything on this site.

[David__77]

15. That poster does deserve thanks. Better Assad that Osama.

And that's the choice, Assad or the children of Osama. A secularist who advocates women being free to drive, study and practice medicine, walk about unveiled, or a bunch of medieval savages who enjoy torture and suicide bombing in the name of their god.

[David__77]

12. Without Lebanese consent, this is a problem.

Mine the border, booby trap, build an electric wall, a moat, place artillery, etc. But don't violate a sovereign country. If Lebanon invited Syria to jointly conduct anti-terrorist operations, that would be another matter.

[Nihil]

13. Ha!

> But don't violate a sovereign country.

You know, just for a moment I thought that was an American saying that!