AP: Fallout Threatens Mideast Political Map

[Eugene]

Fallout Threatens Mideast Political Map

By HAMZA HENDAWI
The Associated Press
Monday, July 17, 2006; 3:27 AM

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Israel's assault on Lebanon threatens to weaken Arab moderates
throughout the region, bolstering the image of Islamic militants at a time when anger
among the Arab public is running high over the war on terror and America's role in Iraq.

A drawn-out conflict could redefine politics throughout the Mideast.

Israel launched the punishing air campaign after Hezbollah guerrillas seized two Israeli
soldiers and brought them back to Lebanon.

But the military campaign is also the result of the deadlock in Arab-Israeli peacemaking
after decades of false starts, Iran's growing influence and the fallout from the rise
of Iraq's Shiite majority after generations of Sunni rule in that oil-rich nation.

<snip>

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/17/AR2006071700095.html

[wakeme2008]

1. Oh Bushie,,, your friends the Saudis are very good pilots and have

great fighters/bombers....

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. The "newly elected" government in Iraq is pretty tight with the

Iranians, no? We may have to end up taking away their democracy if things don't play out the way we thought they would.

[ixion]

3. "Israel's assault on Lebanon" vs 'Hezbollah stopping that shit'

see, an 'assault' is an OFFENSIVE maneuver, not a defensive one, which means it's NOT self-defense, which means both sides, not just one, need to stop.

It's called a ceasefire, and it would save lives.