Yonivore
07-16-2006, 01:08 PM
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah seems a bit confused (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1150886017765) after taking a beating from the Israeli military and provoking outrage from Lebanese politicians who resent Hezbollah's unilateral decision to commit an act of war. In a press conference earlier today, the terrorist chief said that Hezbollah needed no assistance to beat the Israelis -- but then complained that no Arab nation had come to his aid:
In a recorded television speech on Sunday evening, Hizbullah head Hassan Nasrallah urged Arab states to come to the organization's aid.
"Where are the Arab nations?" he asked, moments after declaring that Hizbullah wouldn't ask for help from anyone.
Speaking to Lebanese civilians, many of whom have expressed anger at Hizbullah's Wednesday attack in which two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and which triggered a massive Israeli aerial bombardment of Lebanese infrastructure, Nasrallah affirmed that all damage caused by IDF strikes would be repaired after the battle was won.
"We have friends who have a great ability to help us financially," he said.
He also urged the Arab world not to believe Israeli claims about the escalating conflict. "The enemy is lying," he declared, saying the "Zionists" were "managing a psychological war against us."
If the Israelis want to psyche out Nasrallah, it appears that they have succeeded. First he declares that his terrorist group can beat Israel in an all-out war, including an invasion by tanks, for which he boasted that his troops were prepared to stop with their deaths, a deal that Israel would probably accept. In the very next breath, he called upon other Arab nations to stop sitting on the sidelines and rescue Hezbollah from its own folly.
That plea will fall on deaf ears. If Nasrallah has proven himself incapable of reading a map, the rest of the Arab world will not jump to correct his incompetence. Nasrallah has no lines of communication open, except from Syria. Syria has no lines of communication open, unless Jordan decides to support Hezbollah, which would be about as likely as snow in Mecca next week. Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey surround Syria, and the West controls the Mediterranean Sea. Even Saudi Arabia has no direct way to resupply Syria, which means that Syria has no way to keep Nasrallah supplied.
Once again, we see the strategic importance of holding Iraq in this phase of the war on terror.
Even if a direct supply route could be found, the Arab nations want no part of this battle, not while America has an overwhelming force in the region, one that has become battle-hardened and expert in confronting Arab terrorists as well as Arab military forces. It sliced through the best Arab military force in the region in three weeks. No other Arab nation has a military even at the reduced strength of Saddam's pre-invasion forces.
The only nation that would support Nasrallah is Iran. They have the same problem of communications that everyone else does, as I pointed out earlier. The Iranians might be tempted to start lobbing missiles at Tel Aviv -- I doubt they would try to hit Jerusalem, with the Muslim claim on the city -- but it would invite an immediate American response, perhaps including an anti-missile strike that would strip Iran of any leverage at all in the region.
The only support Nasrallah will get is when he accedes to the demands made for the return of the captured Israeli soldiers. Nasrallah gambled and lost; all of the press conferences in the world will not convince the Arab nations, outside of Syria, to help him double down.
In a recorded television speech on Sunday evening, Hizbullah head Hassan Nasrallah urged Arab states to come to the organization's aid.
"Where are the Arab nations?" he asked, moments after declaring that Hizbullah wouldn't ask for help from anyone.
Speaking to Lebanese civilians, many of whom have expressed anger at Hizbullah's Wednesday attack in which two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and which triggered a massive Israeli aerial bombardment of Lebanese infrastructure, Nasrallah affirmed that all damage caused by IDF strikes would be repaired after the battle was won.
"We have friends who have a great ability to help us financially," he said.
He also urged the Arab world not to believe Israeli claims about the escalating conflict. "The enemy is lying," he declared, saying the "Zionists" were "managing a psychological war against us."
If the Israelis want to psyche out Nasrallah, it appears that they have succeeded. First he declares that his terrorist group can beat Israel in an all-out war, including an invasion by tanks, for which he boasted that his troops were prepared to stop with their deaths, a deal that Israel would probably accept. In the very next breath, he called upon other Arab nations to stop sitting on the sidelines and rescue Hezbollah from its own folly.
That plea will fall on deaf ears. If Nasrallah has proven himself incapable of reading a map, the rest of the Arab world will not jump to correct his incompetence. Nasrallah has no lines of communication open, except from Syria. Syria has no lines of communication open, unless Jordan decides to support Hezbollah, which would be about as likely as snow in Mecca next week. Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey surround Syria, and the West controls the Mediterranean Sea. Even Saudi Arabia has no direct way to resupply Syria, which means that Syria has no way to keep Nasrallah supplied.
Once again, we see the strategic importance of holding Iraq in this phase of the war on terror.
Even if a direct supply route could be found, the Arab nations want no part of this battle, not while America has an overwhelming force in the region, one that has become battle-hardened and expert in confronting Arab terrorists as well as Arab military forces. It sliced through the best Arab military force in the region in three weeks. No other Arab nation has a military even at the reduced strength of Saddam's pre-invasion forces.
The only nation that would support Nasrallah is Iran. They have the same problem of communications that everyone else does, as I pointed out earlier. The Iranians might be tempted to start lobbing missiles at Tel Aviv -- I doubt they would try to hit Jerusalem, with the Muslim claim on the city -- but it would invite an immediate American response, perhaps including an anti-missile strike that would strip Iran of any leverage at all in the region.
The only support Nasrallah will get is when he accedes to the demands made for the return of the captured Israeli soldiers. Nasrallah gambled and lost; all of the press conferences in the world will not convince the Arab nations, outside of Syria, to help him double down.