Yesterday, there were reports that Israel had struck a Hizb’Allah convoy en-route from Syria to Lebanon. Now various intelligence sources are claiming that the convoy was carrying SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles. The weapons were on their way to Lebanon where Hizb’Allah could use them against the IAF in a future conflict and restrict Israel’s air superiority. The Israelis could not allow that to occur and decided to strike.
US officials said Wednesday overnight that Israel had bombed a suspected shipment of anti-aircraft missiles in Syria on Tuesday night, the Wall Street Journal and New York Times reported.
The Wall Street Journal report cited a Western official as saying that the strike targeted a convoy of trucks carrying Russian-made SA-17 missiles to Hezbollah, in a border area west of Damascus .
American officials told the Times that Israel notified the US about the attack. The reports follows varying accounts of the alleged strike.
Several foreign reports said a weapons convoy carrying “game-changing” arms from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon had been hit Tuesday overnight. Syria’s military command later denied that a convoy had been attacked.
The Israeli strikes against Syria and Hizb’Allah makes the growing conflict in the region a three way fight. Israel vs. Assad/Hizb’Allah/Iran vs. the Muslim Brotherhood/Al-Qaeda. This is a very complicated situation but is typical of the Mideast which is tribal and factional. The coming days will reveal the repercussions of these attacks.
Israel struck at the worst time for Hizb’Allah. The Lebanese Shia group is being bled dry in their participation in the Syrian war. They have suffered losses at the hands of al-Qaeda.
In a meticulously planned operation in October, units linked to the Free Syrian Army in the city of Qusayr near the Lebanon border killed Ali Hussein Nassif, who was quickly exposed as commander of all Hezbollah forces in Syria. His death shed light on the extent of the group’s involvement in the conflict.
[....]
Reports indicate that Hezbollah recently expanded its actions in Syria to include its most valued resource — its highly trained and strategically irreplaceable special forces units. Hezbollah’s secretive military wing is reportedly composed of 2,000 to 4,000 professional soldiers and thousands of reservists hailing from Shiite villages south of the Litani river and the Bekaa Valley, meant to be called into action to repel a future Israeli invasion. During the 2006 conflict with Israel, the loss of roughly one quarter of Hezbollah’s special forces was assumed to constitute the group’s most severe setback.
Varying reports from Syria suggest that the direct participation of these special forces units in combat zones nationwide has increased, and additional forces may be on the way.
[....]
Militarily and politically, Hezbollah has much at stake in the Syrian conflict, but it is risking even more by attempting to save a pariah regime that may not be savable. The group has incurred hundreds of losses against Syrian rebels, including its valued special forces. Hezbollah cannot outmatch rebel manpower, and will need to commit its best fighters and most sophisticated equipment to cut rebel supply lines in the hopes of hindering a Damascus invasion force from gaining traction.
Hizb’Allah can not defeat al-Qaeda and will not risk opening a second front against Israel. This was an opportune time for Israel to strike and not risk a war with Hizb’Allah.
Tags: Arab Spring, Syrian War
I’m sure the lefties will be screaming “Israeli AGGRESSION!” before the day is out. If they haven’t already.
Curioser and curioser.
Israel vs. Hizballah/Assad vs. The Muslim Brotherhood/al-Qaeda. This just insane.
I’m not sure that this isn’t an oppertune time for Israel to open that second front for them, and wipe Hizbollah out for good.
Carolina Girl wrote:
The New York Times Editorial Board is at work right now probably accusing them of escalation.
Speranza wrote:
The Israelis picked a good time to strike. Hizballah’s best units are in Syria and they are suffering losses at the hands of al-Qaeda. Assad can’t do nothing since much of his military is fighting the Jihadists.
@ Rodan:
It is very Byzantine. As one would expect from the location, really. Everybody in the neighborhood is everybody else’s enemy. If Israel were gone tomorrow, there would be a general conflageration as they all tried to be the last man standing.
Iron Fist wrote:
This would be the best time. The problem then would be that al-Qaeda would replace Hizb’Allah on Israel’s border. That is something to consider.
Iron Fist wrote:
If Israel would not around, it would be the Syrian war X1000. What’s left of the Mideast Christians would be slaughtered.
I’m not going to lie. I hate Hizb’Allah and al-Qaeda both equally. I could never in my wildest dreams imagine they would turn on each other. They were allies for a long time. Get the popcorn!
@ Rodan:
Al Qaeda is less organized than Hizbollah. They aren’t really winning in Syria, it is just that Assad isn’t really winning, either. Al Qaeda has numbers, but their people aren’t really very good. We butchered them in the tens of thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan.
‘Cause we’ve got a great big convoy, rocketin’ through the night
Yes, got a Hezbollah convoy, ain’t she a beautiful sight?
Come on and join our convoy, it’s chock-full of jihadis
We want to throw a bunch of missiles at the Israelis
Convoy…
@ Iron Fist:
It’s probablyu because they fought us that they are giving Assad and the Hezzies a hard time. They are experienced and learned tactics.
Here’s an interesting read on the Syrian AQ.
@ buzzsawmonkey:
Thanks Buzz. My coffee is now sitting in a puddle near my keyboard and the HIT man from IT is on his way…..
Sorry to go off topic.
I stand corrected, McCain slapped the snot out of Hagle.
@ RIX:
What he say?
Those aren’t missiles. They’re mobile minarets…
Rodan wrote:
He grilled him about Hagles non support for the Iraq surge.
He kept asking Hagle if he was correct.
Hagle just dodged & weaved & McCain kept saying “Answer the question!”
Some of the pundits are speculating that the episode will cost
Hagle votes.
He looked like a deer in the headlights.
coldwarrior wrote:
The “gay community” needs to be shown that the official gay-rights movement does not represent its interests, but is aimed at making them a government-dependent grievance class.
Obama did about as much job council-ling as he did skeet shooting
An Obama mess. Of course they are blaming someone , anybody but them.
Congress did not write the law. Health & Human Services did
under White House direction.
@ RIX:
They’ll ultimately end up blamin Republicans, anyway.
waldensianspirit wrote:
Obama is an expert Marx-man.
It is a pattern & the Media will run with it.
When the full impact of ObamaCare hits & people get
hurt, Republicans will take the fall.
I have seen a lot of press on the air strike(s) against the convoy, but very little about hitting the “research” facility… wonder what they were researching?
buzzsawmonkey wrote:
RIX wrote:
Hagel is about as ill-prepared as anyone I’ve ever seen, frankly, he acts like he has a scotch to two on the way in.
Duh, who saw that coming?/
@ MacDuff:
I think that Hagel was shocked by McCain.
@ Speranza:
The New York Times should change their slogan from “all the news that’s fit to print” to “because the name ‘Pravda’ was already taken.”
@ coldwarrior:
His observation will fall on deaf ears.
@ buzzsawmonkey:
Hopefully we turn him into the dictionary definition of an expert: A former drop of water under pressure
How racist can this guy Lederman be?
Why doesn’t he understand that the job Council is
expiring because Obama achieved full employment?
@ RIX:
Now they want an even bigger handout
buzzsawmonkey wrote:
I am so stealing that.
Excellent!
for any fans of Israel, this is interesting…
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/01/31/why-israel-will-rule-new-middle-east/
@ RIX:
Come on! Stop bucking for that cherry Information Czar post in the administration!
RIX wrote:
another pile of millions of dollars down the tubes…there’s probably enough waste to pay off the debt in five years….Jabba the Fed
Inhofe back hands Hagel…
“Given that Iran, the people — I’m quoting right now from Iran — people of the Middle East, the Muslim region and North Africa, people of these regions hate America from the bottom of their heart,” said Inhofe. “It further said Israel is a cancerous tumor in the heart of the Islamic world. They further said Iran’s warriors are ready and willing to wipe Israel off the map. The question I’d like to ask you, and you can answer for the record if you’d like, why do you think the Iranian foreign ministry so strongly supports your nomination to be the Secretary of Defense?”
@ MacDuff:
R. Lee Ermey (Sgt. Hartman in Full Metal Jacket — h/t huckfunn)
@ RIX:
See my post above. I think Hagel feeling violated and in need of a shower.
unclassifiable wrote:
Q@ heysoos:
The goal was always to break the bank.
@ brookly red:
OUCH!!!! Thats gonna leave a mark…
@ RIX:
Personally I liked the stubborn unemployment numbers. Like it does it on its own even though Obama has been talking to it every day.
MikeA wrote:
this is now into the fifth year of my prediction…these numbers are permanent
Here’s al-Qaeda bragging about killing Hizb’Allah soldiers.
AL-Qaeda with a captured member of Hizb’Allh.
http://freebeacon.com/this-hagel-hearing-is-a-disaster/
Al-Qaeda captures a Hizb’Allah ambulance that has weapons.
Rodan wrote:
ambulance huh? well I guess it takes one to know one
@ brookly red:
Yup that what is awesome about this.
The single likeliest explanation for this incident is that Al Qaeda/The Muslim Brotherhood arranged this transfer in an attempt to draw Israel into the Syrian Civil War, which reports available now appear to indicate Bashar Assad is going to win.
With the Assad Government killing the Al Qaeda/Muslim Brotherhood chances of conquering Syria the most logical (in the Muslim Arab mind) tactical decision is to introduce another very powerful protagonist into the conflict aligned against the Assad Government.
@ heysoos:
Yes, very interesting.
It would be funny as hell to see the your-O-peons toadying up to Israel for oil like they have the a-rabs.
citizen_q wrote:
it also makes things more dangerous for Israel now that they have something of value
@ doriangrey:
Actually its a stalemate. What Assad has done is prevent Damascus from falling.
Rodan wrote:
That’s not the info I am getting.
Inside the war for Syria’s mountains
Barack Obama: The Affirmative Action President
this should be required reading for Obots, followed some friendly debate
http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/tygrrrr-express/2013/jan/31/barack-obama-still-affirmative-action-president/
@ doriangrey:
See my #59.
Assad is nowhere near winning. Neither is AL-Qaeda.
Here’s a good source of the Syrian War.
brookly red wrote:
The muzzzlimbs already want them dead to fuel the blood lust of their moon god and a place at his comsic bordello. Not sure how having something of temporal value could make that worse.
Are you thinking of a Russia, China, or perhaps even Obama lending a hand for cut?
citizen_q wrote:
all of the above
Rodan wrote:
/quick send both sides more weapons!
@ citizen_q:
Russia is enemies with The Muslim Brotherhood. They have been declared the #1 enemy of Islam.
Obama would be the suspect.
Rebels storm security agency in eastern Syria -- sources
@ brookly red:
Yup, let them die.
Rodan wrote:
The more the sooner, the better…
@ doriangrey:
Assad has consolidated in Damascus and pushed back AQ. If you see the Map, he establishing mimi state that stretches from the coast through Homs, Hama and down to Damascus. He’s given up the rest of the country. Now Aq and Kurds are fighting. This is Lebanon on a grand scale which is just fine!
Rodan wrote:
ahh, the Kurds… every deck needs a wildcard.
@ Rodan:
It sucks for the people of Syria, but from our perspective, given who the antagonists are, a failed state in the place of Syria is about the best that we can hope for. I wonder if Baby Assad regrets helping al Qaeda in Iraq now? That turned around and bit him in the ass, big time. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer thug. ANd just when the Democrats were breaking their backs to welcome him into the family of nations as a “refomer”, too.
Rodan wrote:
But isn’t Russia allied with assad, and iran? Correct me if I am wrong, but hasn’t Russia been hostile towards Israel for most of its history? In this hypothetical based on that I wouldn’t count Russia out.
New Thread
citizen_q wrote:
if Israel has as much oil as suggested all bets are off, of course not the religious hatred but past political alliances are moot.
@ citizen_q:
.
Russia is allied with Assad and Iran because they fear the Muslim Brotherhood block. For them its a balance of power thing. Last spring Turkey was threatening Israel and Cypriot Oil fields. It was Russia who forced Turkey to back off. They have been declared Islam’s #1 enemy. In reality the Russians could care less about Iran or Assad. They just do not want a United Caliphate on their border.
Although Iran is a threat to Israel because of nukes, it’s the emerging Caliphate who is the real threat. In that case Israel and Russia are on the same side. This is not simple and is quit complicated.
@ brookly red:
@ Rodan:
@ doriangrey:
@ Iron Fist:
The more they are tied up killing each other, the less resources they have for causing trouble elsewhere.
@ Iron Fist:
He is the one who invited them in. Now he is dealing with the monster he created.
Rodan wrote:
I remember that.
Rodan wrote:
It seems we are hell bent on creating a caliphate. What the heck is the plan? I have wondered if the State Department believes that creation of the caliphate will satiate the jihadists, and jihad terror will stop. If that is the case they are woefully naive and uninformed. The opposite will happen, IMHO, because with a caliph offensive jihad had can be declared to propagate islam.
@ citizen_q:
Israel developing its oil fields actually makes them safer. That means they have a good source of income and once you are an oil nation, everyone kisses your ass!
The one I would worry about is China.
@ Rodan:
Think we will see comrade zero bowing to Netenyahu? /
@ citizen_q:
‘This Hagel hearing is a disaster’
Liberals take to Twitter to slam Hagel
waldensianspirit wrote:
The so called jobs council was a fig leaf to get Obama through the election and nothing more.
AZfederalist wrote:
That’s because Obama’s always shooting his mouth off…
brookly red wrote:
Ouch!!
The IDF was just applying some ‘common sense gun control’ here…