Unleash Israel

[Annie]

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/460qtskt.asp

Take Off the Gloves
It's time for Israel to get tough.
by Max Boot
07/20/2006 12:00:00 AM


A LOT HAS BEEN written in recent years about stateless terrorism. The events of the last few weeks show, to the contrary, that some of the world's most malignant terrorist groups continue to rely on state support. Hamas runs its own quasi-state--the Palestinian Authority. Hezbollah is a state-within-a-state in Lebanon. And lurking behind both are the real troublemakers: Iran and Syria.

The current crisis exposes the inadequacy of American policy toward this new axis of evil. The problem is not, as so many have it, that President Bush's "cowboy diplomacy" has unsettled the region's vaunted stability. It is that Bush hasn't been enough of a cowboy.

Working with France, the U.S. succeeded last year in forcing Syrian troops out of Lebanon, thus allowing free elections to be held. But Lebanese democracy will remain hollow until Hezbollah disarms in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, something that no one has been willing to enforce--until now.

The U.S. should have done more to stop Syria from supporting not only the terrorists targeting Israel but those targeting U.S. troops in Iraq. Syrian strongman Bashar Assad appeared to be down for the count when a U.N. investigation found evidence linking his regime to the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. But Bush let him get up off the mat. Senior U.S. officials keep proclaiming that Syria's support for terrorism is unacceptable, but by not doing more to stop it, they have tacitly accepted it.

The same is true of Iran. The mullahs continue to develop nuclear weapons and smuggle explosives into Iraq, and our only response has been talk and more talk. Perhaps this is a prelude to eventual military action, but in the meantime the administration should have done more to aid internal foes of the mullahocracy. It has taken until now--five years into the Bush presidency--for the U.S. to commit any serious money ($66 million) for Iranian democracy promotion, and the State Department has blocked efforts on Capitol Hill to spend even more.

The Jewish state is now paying the price for American inaction. The Katyusha, Kassam and Fajr rockets raining down on Israel are either made by Iran or with Iranian assistance. The same is true of the C-802 cruise missile that hit an Israeli warship. Syria facilitates the delivery of these weapons and provides a haven for Hamas political head Khaled Meshaal. The Iranians and Syrians are as culpable for the aggression against Israel as if they had been pulling the triggers themselves--which, for all we know, they may have been.

And world leaders such as Vladimir V. Putin (he of the scorched-earth policy in Chechnya) have the chutzpah to criticize Israel for its "disproportionate" response? What would a proportionate Israeli response to the snatching of its soldiers and the bombardment of its soil look like? Should Israel kidnap low-level Hamas and Hezbollah operatives? Those organizations wouldn't mind in the slightest; they want as many martyrs as possible.

The real problem is that Israel's response has been all too proportional. So far it has only gone after Hamas and Hezbollah. (Some collateral damage is inevitable because these groups hide among civilians.) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is showing superhuman restraint by not, at the very least, "accidentally" bombing the Syrian and Iranian embassies in Beirut, which serve as Hezbollah liaison offices.

It's hard to know what accounts for this Israeli restraint, for which, of course, it gets no thanks. It may just be a matter of time before the gloves come off. Or Olmert may be afraid of upsetting the regional status quo. The American neocon agenda of regime change is not one that finds favor with most Israelis (ironic, considering how often the rest of the world has denounced neocons as Mossad agents). The Israeli attitude toward neighboring dictators is "better the devil you know." That may make sense with Jordan and Egypt, which have made peace with Israel, but not with Syria, which serves as a vital conduit between Tehran and Hamas and Hezbollah.

Iran may be too far away for much Israeli retaliation beyond a single strike on its nuclear weapons complex. (Now wouldn't be a bad time.) But Syria is weak and next door. To secure its borders, Israel needs to hit the Assad regime. Hard. If it does, it will be doing Washington's dirty work. Our best response is exactly what Bush has done so far--reject premature calls for a cease-fire and let Israel finish the job.

 

[Annie]

And another reason I really should switch Newspapers:


http://www.suntimes.com/output/otherviews/cst-edt-hunt20.html

Cease-fire with Hezbollah wouldn't bring Mideast peace

July 20, 2006

BY STEVE HUNTLEY

When I visited Israel nearly five years ago, I heard much about the perversity of suicide bombings, the treachery of Yasser Arafat and the threats of terrorism from the Gaza Strip and West Bank. But one Western diplomat turned my attention in another direction.

The Israel-Lebanon border, he told me, "could be a more serious flash point than the West Bank or Gaza Strip. What happens if Hezbollah, Syria, Iran or all three decide to stir the pot?"

A few days later as I toured the border region with its Israeli army outposts, Hezbollah encampments, electronic fences and barbed wire, an Israeli Defense Forces officer said that Hezbollah had 10,000 missiles in southern Lebanon. "To get escalation, all you need is for missiles to hit Haifa," he declared.

This reference to a story I wrote nearly five years ago is not just to note the prescience of the diplomat and soldier. It also suggests how intolerable a return to the status quo of just a couple of weeks ago -- when southern Lebanon was a ticking bomb waiting to explode into regional war -- would be. A quick, simple cease-fire -- as some are calling for now -- is not the answer to the war Israel is fighting. A sustained, effective Israeli offensive that at least drives Hezbollah from the border and takes down the missile threat is the only answer to the new Middle East war inflicted on the world by Hezbollah, Syria and Iran.

Nor are U.N. peacekeepers the answer. U.N. peacekeepers have been on the ground in southern Lebanon for years, have failed to stop aggression across what is an internationally recognized border and have never been completely absolved of acquiescence in the kidnapping and deaths of three IDF soldiers six years ago.

The only international force that would be meaningful would have to be peace-enforcers, not peacekeepers. That means a fighting force committed to disarming Hezbollah even if that required, as it likely would, going village to village, house to house, garage to garage to drain the terrorist arsenal. Even though there already exists a U.N. resolution demanding the disarmament of Hezbollah, the United Nations that we know is incapable of mustering the will and troops to do that job, however vital it is to achieving actual peace.

No, blunting the missile threat must be left to the Israelis. That's why calls for restraint are also wrong. Worse than wrong when you consider the source of some of these demands. Russian President Vladimir Putin calls for balance, but what balance did Russian troops bring in turning Chechnya into a charnel house?

Israeli and Lebanese civilians are being killed. The difference is that Hezbollah is deliberately aiming to kill Israeli civilians -- women, children, the elderly. Israel targets Hezbollah strongholds and inadvertently kills civilians because the Hezbollah terrorists hide behind the people for whom they claim to fight.

Using noncombatants as shields is a violation of the Geneva Conventions. By any measure, authorities at the international criminal court in the Hague should be issuing an arrest warrant for war crimes against Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader. But who would arrest him? This tribunal is no more effective than the U.N. in coping with the deadly terrorist threat the world faces.

Lebanese civilians are dying, not because of Israel, but because of the aggression of Hezbollah, Syria and Iran. To paraphrase something an Egyptian leader once said about Syria, rest assured that Syrian President Bashar Assad is willing to fight this battle to the last Lebanese. How long will the Lebanese people tolerate seeing their lives thrown away as cannon fodder for the half-century-old war against Israel? Certainly the Palestinians, when given the choice, have opted not to build a nation for their children but rather to feed them to the maw of the anti-Israeli war machine. It's starting to get hard to take as serious or sincere appeals from Palestinians for their own state.

Give peace a chance is the underlying message in the calls for a cease-fire. Well, Israel gave peace a chance, and it got war. It withdrew from Lebanon in 2000 and got a Hezbollah terrorist state within the state of Lebanon firing missiles at towns in Israel. The Israelis pulled out of Gaza last year and got a Hamastan in the proto-state of Palestine shooting rockets at Israeli civilians.

Eliminating the Hezbollah missile threat from southern Lebanon won't mean an end to the implacable war that Middle East dictators foment to direct the masses of their people away from the failures of their governments. But given how the warnings I heard five years ago turned out, neither Israel nor the world can afford to return the border region to Nasrallah and his gang of terrorists.

Steve Huntley is editor of the Sun-Times editorial page.

 

[KatarinaZ]

I would love to see Israel engage in full on conflict with Hizbollah. Perhaps it will sufficiently weaken both so that neither will be a continued threat.

 

[dilloduck]

I would love to see Israel engage in full on conflict with Hizbollah. Perhaps it will sufficiently weaken both so that neither will be a continued threat.

You may get your wish--If Hizbollah unleashes WMDs, you could get more than you wish for.

 

[Semper Fi]

I would love to see Israel engage in full on conflict with Hizbollah. Perhaps it will sufficiently weaken both so that neither will be a continued threat.

Yeah we definately don't want Isreal to be a threat to terrorists anymore

 

[KarlMarx]

I would love to see Israel engage in full on conflict with Hizbollah. Perhaps it will sufficiently weaken both so that neither will be a continued threat.

I'd like to see them go full out, too but , I think Israel will kick Hezzbollah's butt, just like they kicked butt in 1967 and 1973.

The "threat" that Israel poses is nothing but a contrivance. If their neighbors decide to stop the suicide bombings and other violent acts and sponsoring those that are willing to carry out those acts, the violence would end.

 

[Psychoblues]

Murder, some of you sons of bitches and otherwise cowards WANT AND NEED MURDER!!!!!! Get your asses over there and get on with your MURDEROUS ambitions and get the hell off of this most innocent messageboard. Every arm chair hero I ever met cheered on the WAR and never considered the more peaceful alternatives. Jeez, Give goddamned WAR a freaking rest!!!!!!

Psychoblues

I'd like to see them go full out, too but , I think Israel will kick Hezzbollah's butt, just like they kicked butt in 1967 and 1973.

The "threat" that Israel poses is nothing but a contrivance. If their neighbors decide to stop the suicide bombings and other violent acts and sponsoring those that are willing to carry out those acts, the violence would end.

 

[Democrat4Bush]

Starting to live up to the first part of your name, huh, Psycho.

 

[waltky]

Israel behind the missile attack in Syria...

Israel Blamed for Missile Strike in Syria; 14 Reported Dead
9 Apr 2018 — Russia and the Syrian military blamed Israel for a missile attack Monday on a Syrian air base that reportedly killed 14.

Russia and the Syrian military blamed Israel for a pre-dawn missile attack Monday on a Syrian air base that reportedly killed 14 people, including three Iranians, while international condemnation grew over a suspected poison gas attack over the weekend that was said to be carried out by the Syrian government. Opposition activists said 40 people died in the chemical attack, blaming President Bashar Assad's forces. The U.N. Security Council planned to hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the chemical attack. The timing of the strike on the air base in the central Homs province, hours after President Donald Trump said there would be "a big price to pay" for the chemical weapons attack, raised questions about whether Israel was acting alone or as a proxy for the United States. Israel typically does not comment on its airstrikes in Syria.

It was the second such attack this year on the air base, known as T4, where Iranian fighters are believed to be stationed. Russia's Defense Ministry said two Israeli aircraft targeted the T4 air base, firing eight missiles. It said Syria shot down five of them while the other three landed in the western part of the base. Syrian state TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that Israeli F-15 warplanes fired several missiles at T4. It gave no further details. Israel's Foreign Ministry had no comment when asked about reports of the airstrikes. Since 2012, Israel has struck inside Syria more than 100 times, mostly targeting suspected weapons convoys destined for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has been fighting alongside Syrian government forces.

This photo released by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows smoke rising after Syrian government airstrikes hit in the town of Douma, in eastern Ghouta region east of Damascus, Syria, Saturday, April. 7, 2018.​

Israel hit the T4 base in February, after it said an Iranian drone that had violated Israeli airspace took off from the base. The base, which was used as a launching pad for attacks against Islamic State militants who were at one point stationed nearby, is near the Shayrat air base, which was targeted by U.S. missiles last year in response to a chemical weapons attack. Saturday's suspected gas attack took place in the town of Douma, the last remaining rebel bastion in the eastern suburbs of Damascus. It killed entire families in their homes and underground shelters, opposition activists and local rescuers said. Syria's state news agency SANA initially said the attack on the T4 air base was likely "an American aggression," but the Pentagon denied involvement, and the agency then dropped the accusation, blaming Israel instead. SANA said the missile attack resulted in a number of casualties, but provided no specific figures.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency identified three Iranians it said were among those killed. It did not provide their ranks or further information. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war through a network of activists on the ground, said 14 died, including Iranians and three Syrian officers. Rami Abdurrahman, the Observatory's chief, said the assault targeted a mobile air defense unit and some buildings inside the air base. He said it also hit posts outside the base used by the Iranians and Iran-backed fighters. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, told reporters on Monday that Israel had not notified Russia of the airstrike, even though there may have been Russian military advisers at the base, which he described as "a cause for concern for us."

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See also:

Why would Israel launch strikes on Syria?
Mon April 9, 2018 - The Russians, the Syrians, and the Iranians all pointed the finger at Israel for carrying out a strike on a Syrian military base near Homs.

Israel has not commented, but a former commander of the Israeli Air Force has said it was almost certainly Israel that carried out the strike. Monday's incident is a reminder that proxy wars continue in Syria amid the seven-year conflict's shifting sands. Here's what you need to know:

Why now?

The strikes come just two days after a suspected chemical attack in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus. Several world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government for carrying out the attack. Syria has denied involvement and accused rebels of fabricating the chemical attack claims. Former Israel Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Eitan Ben Eliyahu said the alleged use of chemical weapons "could not have gone without a response."

The free-for-all in Syria will make your head spin​

But the suspected use of chemical weapons may also have provided a timely pretext for a far more pressing matter for Israel: the growing presence of Iran in Syria. Israel has repeatedly expressed its red lines when it comes to Syria. It will not allow the transfer of high-powered weapons to Hezbollah; it will not allow any breach of Israeli sovereignty; and, as apparently in this case, it will work to prevent Iran from entrenching itself in Syria.

The base that was struck, known as T-4, has an Iranian presence, which Iran confirmed when the semi-official Fars News Agency said four Iranians had been killed in the strike. In addition, Israel says an Iranian drone that penetrated Israeli airspace in February was launched and controlled from this base. Speaking to Israeli Army Radio, leader of the opposition Yesh Atid party, Yair Lapid, said: "T-4, which is the base we're talking about, is no longer just a Syrian base, it is a Syrian-Iranian base. And Israel has said -- and we are clear on this -- that Israel will not accept an Iranian military presence in Syria, and will not accept (Iran's) creeping presence in Syria. This has a price."

Why is Iran such a concern?

Related:

Trump Promises Decision 'Very Quickly' on Syria Response
9 Apr 2018 | WASHINGTON — Trump condemned the "heinous attack" Saturday that killed at least 40 people, including children.

President Donald Trump said Monday he will decide on a U.S. response to the apparent chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians "probably by the end of today." Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, Trump condemned the "heinous attack" Saturday that killed at least 40 people, including children. "It was an atrocious attack," he said. "It was horrible." He said he will be huddling with military advisers to consider U.S. options and "nothing's off the table." Trump said the U.S. is still investigating the possible involvement of the Iranian and Russian governments in the strike. "If it's Russia, if it's Syria, if it's Iran, if it's all of them together, we'll figure it out," he said. He added of Russian President Vladimir Putin, "everybody's going to pay a price — he will, everybody will."

Trump planned two meetings with senior national security aides Monday on Syria, in addition to a previously scheduled late-afternoon White House conference with leaders of U.S. military commands around the world. Monday was the first day on the job for Trump's new national security adviser, John Bolton, who has previously advocated military action against Syria. The White House deliberations came as Russia and the Syrian military blamed Israel for a pre-dawn missile attack on a major air base in central Syria, saying Israeli fighter jets launched missiles from Lebanon's air space. A group that monitors Syria's civil war said the airstrikes killed 14 people, including Iranians active in Syria. Earlier Monday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis took aim at Russia for what he suggested was its failure to ensure the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal. The Pentagon chief said he would not rule out a U.S. military strike against Syria in response to a suspected poison gas attack.

This image released early Sunday, April 8, 2018 by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, shows a child receiving oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack in the rebel-held town of Douma, near Damascus, Syria.​

Over the weekend Trump threatened a "big price to pay" for the suspected poison gas attack. The government of President Bashar Assad has denied using poison gas. Officials in Washington were seeking to verify early reports by rescuers and others that the Assad government was culpable. The Russian military, which has a presence in Syria as a key Assad ally, said its officers had visited the site in a suburb of Damascus, the Syrian capital, and found no evidence to back up reports of poison gas being used. At a photo-taking session in the Pentagon on Monday, Mattis said "the first thing" to consider in how to respond was why chemical weapons are "still being used at all." He noted that Russia was a guarantor of a 2013 agreement to eliminate Syria's entire chemical weapons arsenal, suggesting Moscow shares blame for the suspected gas attack. "And so, working with our allies and our partners from NATO to Qatar and elsewhere, we are going to address this issue," Mattis said in brief remarks to reporters as he began a meeting with the emir of Qatar.

The U.S. military has a wide range of warplanes and other capabilities in the Middle East. They include sea-launched cruise missiles aboard ships within range of Syria. Syria's state news agency SANA initially said Monday's the attack on the T4 air base was likely "an American aggression," but Pentagon spokesman Christopher Sherwood quickly denied the United States was behind the strike and the agency then dropped the accusation, blaming Israel instead. Saturday's suspected poison gas attack took place in a rebel-held town amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce.

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