Who the hell is Hezbollah?

[Onlooker]

What a mess, but my sympathy is now with Israel. Who the f$%k is Hezbollah? They're still firing hundreds of missiles into Israel, but Lebanon isn't even their country. Clearly, Hezbelloh was stockpiling weapons -- for what reason other than to attack Israel? Plus, they're supported by Ahmadinejad, who vows Iran will destroy Israel. No wonder Israel is being so aggressive. They took Ahmadinejad at his word, and found that his henchmen have thousands of weapons.

If Israel made a mistake, it was years ago when it could have achieved peace by giving the Palestinians a piece of Jerusalem.

[ShortnFiery]

1. How about do a simple Google search before becoming entrenched

into one or the other philosophy?

[katinmn]

2. Do some research. Hezbollah is indeed part of Lebanon.

The issue is not as simple as you suggest.

[cali]

3. My sympaties lie

squarely with the Lebanese civilians. They are NOT H'zbollah.

[ShortnFiery]

4. But many of the civilians support Hezbollah who have provided

social services. Therefore, I guess that makes them complicit and fair targets according to the Israeli Army.

[Fredda Weinberg]

5. That's funny ... I remember when Barak offered to share Jerusalem

We held our breath to see if Arafat would agree - and prepared for the worst when he didn't. Please, Israel tried - and Barak literally risked his life in the attempt ... remember the price Rabin paid.

[atreides1]

6. Hey Onlooker

Look further, it's amazing what you can find using Google. While you're at it why don't you look up the number of UN Resolutions that Israel has chosen to ignore.

[papau]

8. Amazing what oil money can buy in the UN. n/t

n/t

[Onlooker]

9. We're talking about Israel and Hezbollah

There are many issues I have with Israel, but when they fight a fundamentalist religious group that is usurping the power of the Lebanese government, with the goal of putting in a reactionary state, and is bent on the destruction of Israel, it's hard not to sympathize with Israel. Hezbollah is reactionary. Let's not pretend they bring to the table the same ideals of the Baathists or Fatah. They bring the same thing to the table as people like bin Laden, Falwell, and other religious nuts.

[jerry611]

13. How many resolutions does Hezbollah accept or ignore?

Seems you don't have a webpage that keeps track of those statistics.

So your whole post has an anti-Israeli bias.

Terrorists hate the UN more than Israel does. Remember that Al-Queda blew up the UN building in Baghdad just a couple years ago. Since then the UN has been scared-shit to step a foot in that country.

The UN is also the body that established the state of Israel. Arabs know this and blame the UN for a lot of their troubles.

[papau]

7. Well said - Taba was a 2000 end of term gift that was refused. It

included giving the Palestinians a piece of Jerusalem - but the destruction of the Jewish state of Isreal via right of return was Arafat's only goal.

[leveymg]

10. Lebanese Shi'a

Here's a very good place to start in your quest for education on the subject: http://www.juancole.com/2005/03/lebanon-realignment-and-syria-it-is.html

Please come back after you've learned something.

[Joe_VB]

11. They are also the group responsible for the

Marine Barracks Bombing in 1983.

[endarkenment]

12. "Lebanon isn't even their country"?

Huh?

Here: http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20031101faessay82606/daniel-byman/should-hezbollah-be-next.html

Educate yourself.

[KharmaTrain]

14. Peace Takes Away Power

Hezbollah is a "nation" unto itself. It operates as a quasi-government that supercedes the Lebanese government in the areas of Southern Lebanon it dominates. It's also a proxy of both Syria and Iran who see it as a means to exert influence in the region that in-turn enhances their own power domestically and within the Arab world. Peace removes an important distraction/trump card for both Syria and Iran. A truly independent Lebanon would threaten Syria's concept of a "Greater Syria" that was domestically used as a reason for the occupation and why its never signed on to helping the Palestinians achieve other than Hamas (another state within a state) or to negotiate in good faith with Israel.

The Assads are a minority Alawite in a predominately Sunni country. They used to rely on the Soviets for arms to maintain power...when that pipeline went away, they turned to Iran. Assad needs Hezbollah to be in Lebanon for a multitude of reason and he needs the confrontation to keep his military and other aid from Iran to flow in. Rice's refusal dialogue with Syria completely negates the U.S. role as a true honest broker in this situation.

Hezbollah won't be crushed by Israeli warplanes...only enhanced as this invasion has weakened the Lebanese government and made Hezbollah's role in the Southern portion of the country even more important. I see a stalemate coming up here where we all go back to where things were before the shooting begins...Hezbollah remains in Lebanon and Syria and Iran gain more power in the region as they see the U.S. has no ability to stop them from operating or has any diplomatic capital to force a withdrawl. Israel just hasn't realized yet how Iraq has weakened their security by negating the U.S's ability to be an honest broker in the region.