Iran to call off the dogs?
I’m not sure I believe this:
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was sent to Damascus to urge Hizbullah to curb rocket attacks against Israel and to release two Israel Defense Forces soldiers captured a week ago in order to avoid further escalations, a London-based Arabic daily reported.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat reported that a European country warned Iran that Israel is ready for a confrontation with Syria, which recently signed a defense alliance with Iran.
[...] The report, which was based on leaks by an Iranian presidential aide, said Iran is worried by criticism waged against Hizbullah by an array of Lebanese politicians like Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and Saad Hariri, son of slain former prime minister Rafik Hariri.
The trio outspokenly attacked Hizbullah for being Iran’s proxy and condemned as “irresponsible” the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers.
I think this is the real reason for that report:
Forty to fifty percent of Hizbullah’s military capability has been destroyed in the six days of the IDF counter-attack following last Wednesday’s Hizbullah raid in northern Israel, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
The IDF, it is understood, believes it needs another week or so minimum to achieve its military goals in terms of alleviating Hizbullah’s capacity to threaten Israel.
Iran knows exactly how much damage Hizbullah has taken. I think this would be Iran’s attempt to rescue the organization from being smashed utterly.
I vote for smashing utterly. Anyone else?
Six rockets fell on Haifa last night:
“Overall, knock on wood, there have been less rockets lately,” Udi Adam, head of Israel’s northern command, told Channel 1 Television.
“We have hit a large part of their weapons arsenal, their anti-aircraft missiles and their rockets. [The operation] will take time, even three to four weeks.”
On Monday night, Hezbollah fired more than 50 rockets, including a barrage which landed after 10 P.M. in the northern towns of Safed, Rosh Pina, Tzivon, Sakhnin, Hatzur Haglilit and Peki’in.
Nine people were wounded in the rocket barrage, including eight hurt when a rocket hit a hospital in Safed.
But their capacity has definitely been diminished. They were firing hundreds of rockets per day, and now it’s down to double-digit figures. Give the IDF another week, and Hezbullah will be mostly destroyed—or at least, their rocket supply will be gone. And a major condition of any cease-fire will be the guarantee that Hezbullah remains rocketless. Dickless can’t be put in the treaty, but their behavior—running into their little ratholes and hiding—has shown us that we don’t need to see it in writing.
Whoops. Did that slip out again? Evil Meryl, stop writing these posts!
July 18th, 2006 at 10:22 am
I’m with you, Meryl. The IDF should bring Hizbullah’s rocket capability down to a big, fat zero … and hit whatever is left of their d*cks while they’re at it.
July 18th, 2006 at 11:25 am
I wonder if Hezbollah would even respond to being called off by Iran or Syria right now, at least at ground level.
If they believe their own propaganda, then they have no reason to believe that Israel will hold to a cease fire. They may also believe that they’re scoring victory after victory against the Zionist regime, and stopping now would be an act of cowardice.
There’s also the Honor/Shame factor - I bet the grunts and mid-level managers of Hezbollah are pretty tired of hearing how they’re Iran’s lapdog, how Iran and Syria “control” them. “Perhaps it is time to show those soft Persians how an Arab fights…”
July 18th, 2006 at 11:32 am
An Unlikely Turn Of Events?…
In other words; if Hizbollah doesn’t stop attacking Israel ASAP, it will be damaged severely. So much even, that it will not be able to hurt Israel for a long while….
July 18th, 2006 at 11:51 am
I’m personally for the use of the term pulverize. Smash suggests that Hizbullah might be able to pick up the pieces.
Pulverize means that Hizbullah would have no way to do so.
I concur that Iran knows how badly Hizbullah is being hit. Assume that more than 1,500 rockets have been fired from 13,000 rockets Hizbullah claims to have. That least 11,500. Israel has launched thousands of sorties, and thousands more fire missions on rocket sites. If a fraction of those hit their targets, we could expect that thousands more of those rockets are no longer in existence, along with their crews.
That’s a good thing.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
Israel Winning, Iran Wants A Time Out…
From YNet:
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was sent to Damascus to urge Hizbullah to curb rocket attacks against Israel and to release two Israel Defense Forces soldiers captured a week ago in order to avoid further escalations, a Lond…..
July 18th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
Diplomacy and the Hounds of Hell…
Why do people many consider to be smart keep making the same stupid decisions time and time again? Why do people keep insisting that we have to talk with the terrorists who keep raining down rockets and missiles on Israel? Hamas and Hizbullah are doi…..
July 18th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
[...] According to yourish.com, 40 to 50 percent of Hizbullah’s military capabilities have been destroyed. With just a few more days, the IDF may be able to knock out Hizbullah’s rocket supply. [...]
July 18th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
The IDF should not only crush and liquidate Hezbullah..but they should send in ground troops to Lebanon and annex at the very least, the southern HALF of Lebanon…..the government of Lebanon is obviously unable to control its borders. Israel can do the job!
July 18th, 2006 at 4:33 pm
Robert, those are the kind of comments I’d rather not see here. There’s a difference between saying Israel should crush Hezbullah, a terrorist organization, and annex southern Lebanon–which was never the objective.
July 18th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
Hezbollah Crumbling; Iran Flinching…
Flyers are raining over south Lebanon, mocking Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and calling on him to face his inevitable death like a man. Where are you hiding? the flyers read.The answer: Nasrallah is hiding behind the innocent women and children…