The great website called Honest Reporting has written a informative, link filled piece that explores some of the myths and facts following Hezbollah's attack on Israel:
It brings to the forefront facts to counter 6 Myths:
Myth 1: "Israel's response is disproportionate.".
Myth 2: "Lebanon bears no responsibility for the actions of Hezbollah."
Myth 3: "Hezbollah is an indigenous Lebanese 'resistance' organization."
Myth 4: "Outside actors such as Iran are not fuelling the crisis."
Myth 5: "Israel continues to occupy Lebanese land, specifically the Shebaa Farms area."
Myth 6: "Arab prisoners held in Israeli jails were kidnapped from Lebanese soil and should be released."
The article: Israel Under Fire.
Other articles of interest:
1. In the New Republic, Yossi Klein Halevi argues that Israel’s two-front war is really the start of a longer-term struggle with Iran and radical Islam.
2. What Hezbollah thinks:
The country's elected government was still in meetings Wednesday, arguing over what to say in public, when Hezbollah chief Sheik Hassan Nasrallah went before television cameras with a pointed threat for the ruling elite.
"Today is a time for solidarity and cooperation, and we can have discussions later. I warn you against committing any error. This is a national responsibility," the cleric said, looking every inch the head of state.
Any criticism over the capture of the two Israeli soldiers would be tantamount to colluding with Israel, Nasrallah said, making it clear that he expected citizens and officials to heed his orders....The reasons behind Hezbollah's decision to flex its muscle so aggressively may never be fully explained, but the hostagetaking carried an unmistakable message of defiance that seemed aimed not just at Israel, but at fellow Lebanese, neighboring governments and the West.
LA TIMES ( 7/13 ): The Nation of Hezbollah -- The militants' raid is a sign that it sees itself as an independent force in Lebanon and beyond.
3. What must Israel Do?
For the first time since the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Israel is facing hostilities on two fronts. The exceedingly volatile situation is liable to embroil other Middle Eastern states, culminating in a regional conflict similar to that of the 1967 Six-Day War.
Faced with such a prospect, Israel could yield to international appeals for restraint and allow tensions to subside. By doing so, however, it would accelerate a process in which Syrian- and Iranian-backed terrorist groups in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon can keep the country in a state of perpetual military mobilization, paralyzing it economically and deepening its diplomatic isolation. To deny the terrorists this victory, indeed to survive, Israel must take bold action to fundamentally alter the security situation on its northern and southern borders....
In countering Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel has little choice but to strike at those who authorize the attacks: the heads of those organizations.
Wash. Post ( 7/14 ): Necessary Steps for Israel -- Confronting State Sponsors of Terror Is the Only Option.
4. Iran and Syria are the Puppetmasters:
Israel's military invasion and naval blockade of Lebanon is being denounced in European capitals and at the United Nations as a "disproportionate" response...
Here's a question for our global solons: Since hostage-taking is universally regarded as an act of war, what "proportionate" action do they propose for Israel?
Israel's current problems result in part from an excess of restraint in responding to previous Hamas and Hezbollah provocations.
Now Israel is confronted with a war on two fronts with proxy terrorists armed and financed by Syria and Iran....
There will be no resolution in Lebanon and Gaza until the regimes in Syria and Iran believe they will pay a price for the wars they are waging through their proxies.
OpinionJournal ( 7/14 ): States of Terror -- Syria, Iran and their proxies wage war on Israel.
What part of "Iran is pulling the strings, and supplying funds, and weaponry, to terrorists in a war against Western Civilization" do critics of Israel, and America, NOT understand?
I agree with those who are calling on the world to demand that Iran stand down its Hezbollah, and other, surrogates.
***UPDATE -- 7/25 130AM***
The Appeasers, Apologizers, and other assorted Moonbats are out, and about, helping spread disinformation on behalf of the enemies of Civilization.
How do I know this?
A brand new Blog was started the other day by one such Minion of W.A.C.K.I.E. ( World Allied Conspiratorial Kongress of Idiotarians Everywhere ) named Rob, in South Carolina, of all places!
The Blog is called IN SOLIDARITY: Free Lebanon!
It wants you to believe it is a spontaniously created blog set up out of concern for the poor Lebanese to showcase "Writings on the struggle and tragedy of the war in Lebanon."
The posts he's written, and the websites he's linked to, and showcased posts from, including a call for a letter writing campaign, make for interesting propaganda, and a catalog of the usual Leftwing suspects, and many you may never have heard about before.
One recommended site features Chomsky as a blogger.
Another is a blatant propaganda site for the "Palestinian Cause", and another links not only to International A.N.S.W.E.R., but to Al-JustlovestheIslamofascists website, the "The Only Democracy in the Middle East", and lists Pro War Against Terror/Conservative sites as "Propaganda" Sites.
Anyway, Ol' Rob sent in a comment to this post after finding me during a Technorati Search of the word "Lebanon":
You have a really cool site here, first off.
But I have to disagree with you on this, namely, that Israel's reaction is not disproportional.
Really, this becomes a subjective issue. If you believe the massive devastation and over 400 Lebanese murdered, mostly civilian, by Israel's illegal ( by international law ) military campaign is justified, then its hard for me to debate you. Those are simply your values.
Israel is committing terrorist acts--don't forget that states and regional powers are not somehow expempt from this classification simply because. The motive is political, its a form of communication, and its targeting innocent civilians. This is explictly terrorism!
Dear Robb:
If that's truly your name...
Your intro post, spends no space explaining who you are, who you represent, or attacking the Islamofascists running roughshod over any chance for peace in the Middle East, and much space attacking Israel.
Your Profile says nothing about you.
I'm glad you think my site is so cool, though how you can think that after only a 12 minute visit ( Yet you describe Blogs you have visited as "rather extensively browsed" in 1 post. ) whose only other other looksee involved a quick glance at my archive of posts on The War Against Terror ( T.W.A.T. ), and considering your politics, and views on who is right in the fight against Islamofascist terror, is no doubt 1 of Gods little mysteries ( Bless her! ).
Forget for a moment the fact that the leader of Iran, ( Not to mention a few other leaders in their secret hearts. ), and every 2 bit terrorist in the Middle East has as his stated goal the utter destruction of Israel, and the setting up of a worldwide Islamic Caliphate ( Though they will settle for one on the whole of the European Continent since the EU nations are all such secular wussy pushovers these days. ).
Israel has every right to go after Hamas, and Hezbollah, for abducting their soldiers, not to mention all the suicide bombings over the years.
This time they should be allowed to finish the job.
Why are you not taking your friends in H and H to task for their deliberate targeting of Israeli civilians, and using their "beloved countrymen" as shields from retaliation by hiding weapons in homes, businesses, and suposedly sacred Mosques, and then hiding among the civilian population when the Isralei's come looking for them, and then going on the attack.
Israeli, and American, Soldiers are not firing wads of paper from slingshots, and neither are the terrorists.
What the hell do you expect the Israeli, or American ( In Iraq ), soldier to do when fired upon by some fanatic inside a house or mosque?
Stand there, smile, and take it?
Israel is not there to make life easy for its enemies.
If it has to damage infrastructure, or other property, no-one is to blame but the terrorists who started this ruckus.
Israel has given warnings to civilians to leave areas about to come under fire, unlike the Suicide bombers, and Rocket launchers, and can do nothing if, out of a misguided hatred of Israel, and loyalty to Hezbollah, some folks don't go.
Civilian Casualties are a sad fact of war, and of course the enemy uses our horror at the tragedy against us.
Where are they going to go?
The other countries in the area are not going to be able, even if they are temporarily willing, to take them in for very long.
If the Middle East cared a fig do you think the Palestinians would still be in their sorry situation?
There was no call for a Palestinian State until Israel came along, and its enemies needed some poor saps to wave around in its war with Israel.
Get this through your thick, Lefty Skull: The War Against Terror is one against Islamofascist, Jew Hating, Western Civilization Hating, Democracy Hating, America Hating, Religious Fanatics.
If America, Britain, Israel, and our few other allies won't stand up, and fight for as long as it takes to rid the world of the scourge of terrorism, then no-one else will, and our descendants will pay for our incompetence.
Islamofascists began fighting the West as far back as the 1970's, and have not stopped.
The world is again blind to a grave danger ( Remember WW 2? ), and unless it wises up to the fact that we ARE in the early stages of WW 3, when it finally wakes up and decides to help the rest of us, it may be almost, or totally, too late.
***END UPDATE***
***UPDATE 2 - 1215PM***
In recent weeks Captain's Quarters Blog has had outstanding analysis, and plenty of doses of historical perspective, that will help any reader interested in understanding what is happening in the Middle East.
35 reasons why you should be reading the good Captain ( In chronological order ).
If you want to be informed about what is going on this is a collection that will get you started.
I've gathered the collection after a morning of reading.
What you do next is up to you.
***END UPDATE***
***UPDATE 3 -- 620PM***
ROBB responds, at length, on his Blog, to my reply: More on the “we fight terror” fallacy.
***END UPDATE***
***UPDATE 4 -- 7/28***
***END UPDATE***
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