Bush Supports Israel's Move Against Hezbollah

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  • blueturk
    Veteran
    • Jul 2004
    • 1883

    Bush Supports Israel's Move Against Hezbollah

    Bush Supports Israel's Move Against Hezbollah

    By Robin Wright and Thomas Ricks
    Washington Post Staff Writers
    Wednesday, July 19, 2006; A10



    In blunt language, President Bush yesterday endorsed Israel's campaign to cripple or eliminate Hezbollah, charged that Syria is trying to reassert control of Lebanon, and called for the isolation of Iran.

    Bush, in remarks at the White House after he briefed members of Congress about the recent Group of Eight summit of industrialized nations, said the "root cause" of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon "is terrorism and terrorist attacks on a democratic country."

    "And part of those terrorist attacks are inspired by nation states, like Syria and Iran. And in order to be able to deal with this crisis, the world must deal with Hezbollah, with Syria and to continue to work to isolate Iran," Bush said.

    The president spoke amid increasing pessimism about the potential for diplomacy to defuse the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in the near future. Many U.S., European and Arab officials are resigned to a prolonged battle with limited prospects for diplomacy because of limited alternatives and what one European diplomat called the "unstoppable dynamic" of Israel's military campaign.

    At the same time, the administration is scrambling to develop a strategy to deal with the crisis. Despite unity at the G-8, U.S. officials said that a lot of ideas have been offered without details or feasibility assessments.

    "What we have to do before we launch anyone at a target is understand the mission," a senior U.S. official said.

    For now, the administration is letting Israel's military strategy to weaken Hezbollah and its Syrian and Iranian backers play out.

    "The real objective here has to be to deny the Mediterranean branch of Tehran a strategic victory and to find a way that, coming out of the crisis, we have a situation recomposed, so Hezbollah's influence is more limited -- ideally you could say destroyed," the senior U.S. official said.

    Iran gave birth to Hezbollah and has provided some $100 million annually in funds and most of its arms.

    Syria, which ended a 29-year occupation of Lebanon when it withdrew 14,000 troops last year, is trying to get back into Lebanon in violation of U.N. Resolution 1559, Bush said. The president said there are growing "suspicions" that the instability that followed Hezbollah's cross-border raid last week will lead some Lebanese to invite Syria to return. Any such move is "against the United Nations policy and it's against U.S. policy," Bush vowed.

    Pressed on whether he is trying to buy time for Israel to eliminate Hezbollah, Bush said Israel should be allowed to defend itself. But he also cautioned that Israel should be "mindful" to allow Lebanon's government to "succeed and survive" after the conflict.

    "Sometimes it requires tragic situations to help bring clarity in the international community," Bush said. "And it is now clear for all to see that there are terrorist elements who want to destroy our democratic friends and allies, and the world must work to prevent them from doing so."

    Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice indicated yesterday that the situation is not yet ripe for U.S. diplomatic intervention.

    "We have to make certain that anything that we do is going to be of lasting value," Rice said during a brief session with reporters along with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit. "The Middle East has been through too many spasms of violence, and we have to deal with underlying conditions so that we can create sustainable conditions for political progress there."

    Rice added: "When it is appropriate and when it is necessary and will be helpful to the situation, I am more than pleased to go to the region."

    After talks with Rice, the Egyptian foreign minister pressed for an urgent cease-fire. "We have to keep working to reach that objective. It is imperative. We have to bring it to an end as soon as possible," he told reporters at the State Department.

    A U.N. team touring the region is expected to return tonight and brief the Security Council tomorrow. Secretary General Kofi Annan will also discuss his ideas for an international peacekeeping force, which he said will be "much larger" than the U.N. mission of 2,000 peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon since 1978. Annan said a force "would help stabilize the situation" in southern Lebanon and give the fragile Lebanese government time to "sort out" Hezbollah's disarmament and "extend its authority throughout the territory."

    Rice is expected to attend the U.N. discussion, diplomats said.

    Some U.S. and European military and intelligence officials said yesterday that they were puzzled by Israel's strategy and concerned that its goals are unrealistic or too ambitious.

    Israel has "target packages" but no viable long-term strategy, a senior U.S. official said, speaking anonymously because he was criticizing an ally. There is limited reason to believe that either Hezbollah or Hamas can be compelled to give up their prisoners or end the attacks.

    Others questioned the impact on the Lebanese government and the very military force Israel hopes will eventually take over the areas now under Hezbollah's control.

    "Won't Israeli military actions have the effect of decreasing the already limited capacities of the Lebanese government?" asked retired Army Col. Andrew Bacevich, who teaches at Boston University. "Going after Hezbollah makes sense, but I just don't understand the rationale for the campaign as it is being conducted."

    But retired Israeli army Col. Gal Luft, a former commander in the town of Ramallah, said, "Israel is attempting to create a rift between the Lebanese population and Hezbollah supporters by exacting a heavy price from the elite in Beirut. The message is: If you want your air conditioning to work and if you want to be able to fly to Paris for shopping, you must pull your head out of the sand and take action toward shutting down Hezbollah-land."

    Other specialists in security strategy said that Israel is sending messages to several audiences, telling the people of Lebanon that the attack is the price of tolerating the Hezbollah's presence and the broader Arab world that its current response is the price of provoking Israel.
  • Kristy
    DIAMOND STATUS
    • Aug 2004
    • 16737

    #2
    Of course he does. After all, he's bound to make some money off of it.

    Comment

    • jcook11
      Commando
      • Sep 2004
      • 1281

      #3
      Poor fucking Hezbollah, looks like they guessed wrong Israel can still kick the shit out of them and should.

      Comment

      • Nickdfresh
        SUPER MODERATOR

        • Oct 2004
        • 49565

        #4
        Originally posted by jcook11
        Poor fucking Hezbollah, looks like they guessed wrong Israel can still kick the shit out of them and should.
        Actually, poor Lebanese civilians...

        (And poor Americans, that shall inherit the hatred begot by our mindless pandering to Israel).

        Comment

        • Intruder

          #5
          Originally posted by Nickdfresh
          Actually, poor Lebanese civilians...

          (And poor Americans, that shall inherit the hatred begot by our mindless pandering to Israel).
          And that is the truth.

          Funny how a puppet US regime run by a box of cunthair brings all this wonderful propaganda.

          Comment

          • jcook11
            Commando
            • Sep 2004
            • 1281

            #6
            What the fuck are the Israelis supposed to do? 6,million annihalated from the face of the fucking earth. They finally get a little piece of land to call their own and Ishmaels' kids keep lobbing shit at them ...or suicide bombing them, When is enough gonna be enough?

            Comment

            • Cathedral
              ROTH ARMY ELITE
              • Jan 2004
              • 6621

              #7
              Originally posted by jcook11
              What the fuck are the Israelis supposed to do? 6,million annihalated from the face of the fucking earth. They finally get a little piece of land to call their own and Ishmaels' kids keep lobbing shit at them ...or suicide bombing them, When is enough gonna be enough?
              Didn't you know?
              They are supposed to roll over and let themselves be wiped off the face of the earth.

              I don't see the problem, they'd all be much happier in the afterlife, eh?

              Comment

              • Cathedral
                ROTH ARMY ELITE
                • Jan 2004
                • 6621

                #8
                Originally posted by Nickdfresh
                Actually, poor Lebanese civilians...

                (And poor Americans, that shall inherit the hatred begot by our mindless pandering to Israel).
                Shall inherit?
                More like already inherited, Nick.

                USA, Pandering to Israel since 1948...

                Comment

                • RuzDNailz
                  Foot Soldier
                  • Nov 2004
                  • 655

                  #9
                  Originally posted by jcook11
                  What the fuck are the Israelis supposed to do? 6,million annihalated from the face of the fucking earth. They finally get a little piece of land to call their own and Ishmaels' kids keep lobbing shit at them ...or suicide bombing them, When is enough gonna be enough?
                  100% agree. Israelis have too much to deal with and now with all this antisemitism, it's terrible.

                  Comment

                  • Cathedral
                    ROTH ARMY ELITE
                    • Jan 2004
                    • 6621

                    #10
                    Hey, if your neighbor threw a stick of dynomite over your fence and blew up you new Toro mulching mower and the shed it was sitting in, would you just ignore it?

                    I wouldn't, his Cub Cadet would be taken out post haste.

                    Comment

                    • Nickdfresh
                      SUPER MODERATOR

                      • Oct 2004
                      • 49565

                      #11
                      Originally posted by jcook11
                      What the fuck are the Israelis supposed to do? 6,million annihalated from the face of the fucking earth. They finally get a little piece of land to call their own and Ishmaels' kids keep lobbing shit at them ...or suicide bombing them, When is enough gonna be enough?
                      Yeah, by driving Palestinians off the land that many families had owned for generations and guarding it with over $3billion a year in U.S. aid: F-16s/15s among aircraft in the largest most sophisticated Mideast airforce, Merkava and M-60.2000 MBTs in a large well trained Army, and roughly 300 nuclear weapons or so...

                      Somehow, Israel manages to kill 3.4 Palestinians for every Israeli killed. Yes, the leaders of Hezbollah are cunts. But Israel is playing right into their hands with a major ground invasion, they've already "not had a good week." And they were in Lebanon for a while and it was basically their 'Vietnam.' The IDF is completely negating it's advantage, they had other options available other than total War...

                      AN IDF Merkava is case you were wondering...

                      Comment

                      • jcook11
                        Commando
                        • Sep 2004
                        • 1281

                        #12
                        Again my question...What hte fuck are the Israelis supposed to do? Hezbollah publicly admits they do not respect Israels right to EXIST.

                        Comment

                        • LoungeMachine
                          DIAMOND STATUS
                          • Jul 2004
                          • 32576

                          #13
                          Originally posted by Cathedral
                          Hey, if your neighbor threw a stick of dynomite over your fence

                          LMAO
                          Originally posted by Kristy
                          Dude, what in the fuck is wrong with you? I'm full of hate and I do drugs.
                          Originally posted by cadaverdog
                          I posted under aliases and I jerk off with a sock. Anything else to add?

                          Comment

                          • FORD
                            ROTH ARMY MODERATOR

                            • Jan 2004
                            • 59610

                            #14
                            Originally posted by jcook11
                            Again my question...What hte fuck are the Israelis supposed to do? Hezbollah publicly admits they do not respect Israels right to EXIST.
                            Wifebeater, in all fucking seriousness dude.....

                            You really need to turn off the reich wing propaganda and learn the facts before you open your mouth on this kind of shit.

                            Israel is FAR from blameless here. And yes, this time THEY definitely started it.
                            Eat Us And Smile

                            Cenk For America 2024!!

                            Justice Democrats


                            "If the American people had ever known the truth about what we (the BCE) have done to this nation, we would be chased down in the streets and lynched." - Poppy Bush, 1992

                            Comment

                            • Nickdfresh
                              SUPER MODERATOR

                              • Oct 2004
                              • 49565

                              #15
                              Originally posted by jcook11
                              Again my question...What hte fuck are the Israelis supposed to do? Hezbollah publicly admits they do not respect Israels right to EXIST.
                              They could have retaliated without a strategic bombing attack, and what looks to be a major infantry and armor invasion, on Lebanon. Israel could have used limited airstrikes and commandos in a more proportional response instead, then negotiated a prisoner exchange after seeking more sustained international pressure on Hezbollah to disarm.

                              Comment

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