Let's start with a bang

[ono_sendai]

So... how do people think about the shiite push for the destruction of Israel... I mean, Israeli-Hezbollah conflict?

More importantly, any predictions of endings/possible resolutions?

Comments

[joshwasta]

Hezbollah said, in a very public statement, that he welcomed World War III. Anyone in power making this kind of statement REALLY needs to be neutralized and removed from power.

-Wasta

[kyobu]

Hezbollah is trying at least as hard to destroy Lebanon. They clearly were aiming for the reaction that they got - bombing in southern Lebanon, no matter how thorough, has basically no effect on Hezbollah's strength, but it weakens Israel and, more to the point, wreaks massive havoc on the democratically-elected government. Once that government is weak and Hezbollah has popular Lebanese support thanks to what Arabs will perceive as a huge Israeli overreaction, whether or not that's the case, Hezbollah will have an easy time becoming a de facto government, or if not that, at least substantially stepping up their influence. Shiite ascendancy in Arab countries also obviously works to Israel's detriment, since Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood are enemies of Egypt and Jordan, among other Arab governments with Israel relations on the moderate end of the Arab spectrum.

[ono_sendai]

But think of the Saudis- they seem to have decided to bring the big bucks into the equation- that much money's gonna get the Lebanese gov't going AND strengthen the Saudi's hand.

Sunni/Shiite or just Saudi's vs. the Iranians?

[raamaska]

I really think that taking Iran out of the equation is what really needs to happen, without them, much of hezbolla's funding for their humanitarian and militaristic efforts will disapear. With a decline in their humanitarian aid to the people of southern lebanon, their popularity will follow suite allowing the government to more effectively control (read: eliminate) them.
Still, we can't really do much to Iran without FUCKING the shakey peace in Iraq.

[raamaska]

eerrr... their funding will decrease, not dissapear... Iran is a major but not the only Hezbolla patron.