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| Hezbollah |
Do you remember the famous quote by Titus Livius, “
Dum Romae consulitur, Saguntum expugnatur” (
Ab Urbe Condita, XXI, 7)? This could be translated in a much updated version as
While Washington (and Rome, London, Paris, etc.) debates what to do with Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, Lebanon falls. Hezbollah has won there, with the support of Iran and Syria. In brief,
this is a must read article.
Perhaps this could be regarded as a first example of where democracy defeats itself by its own principle. The Hezbollah has been working precisely for this for years, by patronising (buying off ) the Palestinian refugees and Lebanese Muslims making an ostentatious show of their altruism. In spite of the Lebanese constitution, democracy naturally stipulates such representation, and inevitably the Hezbollah represent more and more 'Lebanese'. The movement, who was the first to use kamikaze tactics, and has a black, criminal record that it is probably more proud of than ashamed of, (1983 Beirut attacks killing 63, 17 of whom were American, etc.) is more loyal, in principle, to Iran than to Lebanon. It probably also represents hope for Syria, a country that has never abandoned its ambition of integrating Lebanon as part of the 'Great Syria'.
ReplyDeleteLike Hamas, also financed and armed by Iran, the Hezbollah are virtually 'programmed' to destroy Israel, the Iranian regime's objective that has never been a secret. By being integrated within the Lebanese government, whenever the Hezbollah chooses to provoke Israel, as it did in co-ordination with Hamas causing the last Lebanese war, more than ever before Israel would have to regard Lebanon as an enemy State, even though it has never regarded its neighbour as such. The Hezbollah would logistically also have the right to be supported by the Lebanese army, which naturally would make things even more complicated for Israel.
One only has to refer to Lebanese journals such as L'Orient le Jour to appreciate how much the Hezbollah is more unwillingly tolerated, than respected or admired by those who consider themselves true Lebanese.
Very well said, Mirino.
ReplyDeleteGood article. It's frightening, what's happening in the middle east. We were in Haifa, Israel, in Sept. 2009 when Iran was rattling its sabers- testing its nuclear might. We were also in Egypt in Oct. of that year, and the evidence of a fierce Islamic culture was everywhere. I hope and pray that moderation will prevail and peace wins out.
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