Serious question: Has Iran armed Hezbullah or is this propaganda?

[uppityperson]

I was just reading the news and came across a bit in a Reuters article that I hadn't noticed before. I do NOT want to argue right, wrong, etc etc, but is it an established fact that Iran has armed Hezbullah or is it just bush propaganda? Thank you.

Here is the line from the article about USA rushing precisin-guided bombs to Israel. Again, please can we keep this to just answering my question, then I will ask for this to be deleted and repost another way. Thank you again.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-07-22T151534Z_01_N21268027_RTRUKOC_0_US-MIDEAST-BUSH-WEAPONS.xml

Citing U.S. officials who spoke on Friday on condition of anonymity, the Times said the decision to ship the weapons quickly came after relatively little debate within the administration, and noted in its report that its disclosure threatens to anger Arab governments and others who could perceive Washington as aiding Israel in the manner that Iran has armed Hezbollah.

[nytemare]

1. I have a feeling this could be one of those "WMD" type issues.

It is hard to trust a boy after he calls wolf so many times.

[uppityperson]

2. that is my problem also

I read this article yesterday, last night, and don't remember the bit about Iran arming Hezbullah. It almost got past me now but I did a double take, wtf? underhanded propaganda slipped in or reality?

subliminal, that's the term.

dang, just reread what I posted last night and it was there too. Didn't notice until now.

[madame defarge]

5. Good informative diary about this...

Hezbollah for Dummies...or Bush. Either one.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/7/21/164211/516

[uppityperson]

22. thank you for the link

In that link I find this 1 line.

They have anti-tank weapons and other systems from Iran.

So Hezbullah has gotten some weapons and systems from Iran, according to the librul DailyKos. I will wait a bit more, see if I get other replies with information before deciding if the comparison (USA/Iran) is at all accurate or underhanded manipulation of facts.

[ladjf]

3. And if Iran has supplied Hezbollah, they certainly haven't given

them any of the top line weaponry. Israel claims the Iran has given the 100 million bucks worth of weapons. (That's the price of 3 f16's. Not much good against 350 of the Israeli airforce.)

The rockets that the Hezbolloh is sending into Northern Israel benefit Israel by giving them a counter punch argument. The light civilian casualties are terrible for the families involved but strategically has no beneficial outcome for Hezbollah. Either the Hez are the dumbest group ever formed or they have some sort of long range strategy that I'm totally missing.

[Waya]

4. Maybe a little of both.......

Iran might have supplied some arms...but it gets totally blown out of proportion by BushCo to suit the agenda.......

[abluelady]

6. I Haven't a Clue

But I would be curious where they do get their weapons.

[Imajika]

Iran arms Hizbullah..

The US knows it, the UN knows it, everyone in Europe knows it, everyone in the region knows it, everyone who understands what Hizbullah is and represents knows it, the Lebanese know it and even Iran doesn't deny it.

Iran's arming of Hizbullah is not a secret and it is not propaganda.

[BillZBubb]

9. "Everyone Knows Saddam has WMDs"

Yeah, right. You've bought the propaganda.

[Imajika]

11. Everyone knows that grass is green too...

That Iran supplies Hizbullah with weapons is no more a secret than the fact that the US supplies Israel with weapons.

It is not a secret. Everyone knows it.

You can call it propaganda is you'd like, but you'll just sound foolish.

[BillZBubb]

31. Please CITE a valid, neutral source.

I'll take proof, not "everyone knows..." propaganda.

[still_one]

14. where do you suppose they get their weapons?

This is NOT the same thing as WMDs in Iraq, and to even make a parallel is ridiculous

[cynatnite]

23. The katyusha rockets are Iranian...this is common knowledge

Iran and Syria have supported Hezbollah since it's inception in the early 80s.

[Imajika]

7. posted in error

deleted

[BillZBubb]

8. Bush said Iraq had active WMD programs.

Bush says Iran is arming Hezbollah. Just consider the source, or better yet ask for some proof.

Israel has consistently lied about Hezbollah, so there is nothing new there. They always claim their next target for the US is arming the "terrorists" du jour. Remember when they were yelling about Saddam Hussein funding the PLO? Now it's on to Iran. No one asks the Israeli's to prove anything.

[still_one]

18. you want to defend Hezbollah, be my guest

but the ENTIRE international community knows of the relationship between Iran and Hezbollah

Tell me where do you think Hezbollah gets their weapons, Israel? Maybe the U.S.

Just google on the internet on the relationship between Iran and Hezbollah, come on, not everything is a conspiracy

[BillZBubb]

30. Where's the REAL proof.

I think Hezbollah gets it's weapons clandetinely through third parties. They get money from Iran and many other sources. They use most of the money for their social services in Lebanon. The rest they use for armaments. There is an active black market in weapons that anyone, even Hezbollah, can easily tap into. Tell me you at least know that.

[sinogirl]

10. Of course Iran armed Hizbollah

Why else is the US arming Israel...


There has to be a justification for everything, though I'm not sure which came first, the US arming Israel OR Iran arming Hizbollah...

To appeased the Arabs Bush is also sending Weapons to Saudi Arabia..!!! Smart Ass Bush (I'm curious how many cells he has up there)

[Imajika]

15. The US armed Israel first...

Hizbullah came along in the early 80's during the Israeli occupation of Lebanon.

Hizbullah was supposed to be disarmed along with other militias when the Israeli's pulled out of Lebanon, but it refused to do so. Iran has been arming them to the teeth for years.

[still_one]

19. You are correct

what I can't understand is why some do NOT believe there is a relationship between Iran and Hezbollah

Where do they think Hezbollah got their weapons?

[Imajika]

25. Some folks...

"what I can't understand is why some do NOT believe there is a relationship between Iran and Hezbollah"

..prefer to go through life wearing blinders? Maybe others would prefer to believe that everything the United States says is a lie and that our opponents must always be more honorable than we are? I suppose there is also a certain percentage of people that are just fools.

That Iran arms and finances Hizbullah is known to everyone with even the slightest bit of understanding of what is going on in the region. It is not a fact in dispute. Anyone who calls this relationship propaganda just makes themselves look silly.

[uppityperson]

26. I distrust bush administration & media reporting. Am looking for info

thank you for giving it to me. I just don't trust anything "the boy who cried wolf" puts out and really appreciate having an online community of people who follow things and are knowledgable about different things. Thanks.

[still_one]

12. They have been arming Hezbollah for years

and providing support. Google it

[BillZBubb]

32. Prove it!

[liberal N proud]

13. I suspect more propaganda than anything

The real tell tail sign would be any thing from Iran or Syria sending military help to the region.
I would only trust the information if it were reported by several news agencies outside the US.

[Imajika]

20. Countless news agencies outside the US...

..report that Iran arms Hizbullah. This is not a secret. It is not some assertion the US makes that is any dispute. Everyone in the region knows it. The UN knows it. Lebanon knows it. The fact that Iran supplies Hizbullah is not even in dispute by any serious person anywhere. It is no more a secret than the fact that the US supplies weapons to Israel - not a secret at all.

[NYC]

28. Imajika, the problem is

that we cannot distinguish truth from propaganda without asking questions or doing research.

As much as I read, I can't keep up. If Bush, and Bush favoring media, report something, I can't just accept it. I have to read other sources to find out if it's true. Takes time.

Thanks for providing information.

[malaise]

34. Why shouldn't Iran help it's neighbour defend itself

when all people in that region know the Israelis are American armed to the teeth and have one aim - stealing their land, water and oil. Every nation has a right to defend itself and its friends. The question is why is the US arming Israel. I don't give a damn who is arming Hezbollah. All I hope is that Lebanon holds on to the Litani river.

[papau]

16. Iran gives Hez $300 m per year to buy hearts and minds via social programs

in Southern Lebanon, plus a limited amount of military hardware - the most interesting of late being the Iranian 805 missile and the improved rockets and anti-tank weapons - all delivered via Syrian help after being flown to Syria.

It is not a secret.

The weapon improvements are a major worry to the cities in Israel under air attack, but it is the social programs that buy votes that are the real long term worry - indeed that is how Hamas won the hearts of enough Palestinians to get elected (that plus the amazing corruption and lousy government of the Arafat tribal - not institutional - government set up).

[kenny blankenship]

17. Iran arms Hezbollah, and Israel arms Al-Fateh to use it to attack Hamas

--and not just Hamas the organization but the Palestian Authority gov't Hamas was elected to run. Who fires homemade rockets at Israel from Gaza? Some of the same people Israel has transferred arms to. Why would Israel transfer arms to their attacker? To keep stirring the pot of genocide, to make government impossible for the Hamas gov't whom they refuse to recognize, and thus to avoid a situation where they might be compelled by world opinion to negotiate a settlement. Everybody is arming somebody bad. Don't look for angels on any side.

[Spazito]

21. Well said!

"Everybody is arming somebody bad. Don't look for angels on any side."

[uppityperson]

24. thanks, not looking for angels, just don't trust media/administration

I know that arms come from somewhere, the comparison (USA-Israel/Iran-Hezbullah) gave me pause. Thank you for the reason'ed answer. Humans have not evolved socially as far as they have technologically.

[Emit]

29. You make an important point here

Yesterday, someone posted here on DU an article about Mossad infiltrating Hezbollah -- I'll look for the link, but in googling Mossad + Hezbollah, one can see how black ops style on the Mossad's part has really confused the situation in an ironic way. Your point here: "To keep stirring the pot of genocide, to make government impossible for the Hamas gov't whom they refuse to recognize, and thus to avoid a situation where they might be compelled by world opinion to negotiate a settlement..." came to my mind as well when was wondering "why?" in all of this.

[treestar]

27. This is one of those things hard to establish in the MSM

These conflicts have been going on so long and are so complicated, none of us have time to research it all and too many people have an agenda if you ask them.

Why the US has to be involved is the only question. I see nothing justifying that. These are foreign countries and if they must fight, let them fight it out and the victors take the spoils. At least they'll be done. Interfering only seems to prolong it. Both sides here do not want to settle it diplomatically. Carter tried, Clinton tried, there were times when it seemed like they would work it out, but they don't want to in the end.

The rest of the world has catered to them all too long. It's too bad for their children, but then we have to look after ours rather than continuing to sacrifice them to something that will never be solved so long as we keep trying to reason with irrational people.

The Israelis need to just stop. It's not that they have no right to defend themselves. They have to just stop. Leave if that's the only way (probably not, but maybe we have to tell them they can't continue to exist if it means constant war). The Palestinians/Hezbollah have to stomp down on whoever can't just live and has to resort to useless terrorist attacks in Israel which will never get rid of Israel and just cause more death and destruction among the people they are claiming they make their terrorist attacks on behalf of. Since neither side will consider either of these things, maybe they just have to fight it out.

[stray cat]

33. Definitely