Hizb’Allah upped the ante in their psychological war against Israel. Reports have surfaced that Hizb’Allah was conducted exercises mocking an invasion of Israel’s Galilee region. How they plann to do this without artillery, armor or air support is not known. One theory is that they will attempt to ground Israel’s air force with missile attacks on airbases. The problem is that Israel already has contingencies for this. Israel has artillery that can zero in on Hizb’Allah units that enter their territory. It’s very likely that this drill was really aimed at Al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood.
A reportedly large Hezbollah military drill held in southern Lebanon is part of an Iranian-orchestrated preparation for a confrontation with Israel, a senior Israeli security analyst said.
Over 10,000 Hezbollah fighters participated in the terror organization’s largest military exercise to date last week, which included defensive tactics and “preparations to conquer the Upper Galilee,” Lebanese newspaper Al- Joumhouria reported Thursday morning.
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The training could also come in useful for the Iran-Assad- Hezbollah alliance, since Hezbollah can contribute a military force to defend a future Allawite enclave. The Allawite mini-state might be amalgamated to the Shi’ite dominated region of the Bekaa Valley of northern Lebanon in the event that Syria collapses.
The force of 10,000 Hezbollah fighters could also be unleashed on the streets of Beirut if Sunnis rise up against Hezbollah, Karmon added.
This would be suicide for Hizb’Allah to even attempt to invade Israel. This would be a new version of the Tet offensive. Hizb’Allah being out in the open would make easy targets for the IDF. They would take a beating like the Vietcong did and would cease to exist as a fighting force. At that point, Lebanese Sunnis (Muslim Brotherhood), Al-Qaeda and Lebanese Christians would fall upon the Lebanese Shia. This is probably what the Hezzies are really preparing for. A fight with Al-Qaeda/Muslim Brotherhood.
Hizb’Allah’s former ally in the Balkan wars against the Serbs and Khobar Tower bombings, al-Qaeda is gaining strength in Syria. The al-Nusra Front is al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria. They were established ironically with the blessing of Bashar Assad to fight Americans in Iraq. Now, they want to control Syria and have been at the forefront of battling government forces. They have also kidnapped members of their former allies; Hizb’Allah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Syria. Clearly, they are gaining power in the Syrian chaos.
Our collective excitement at the possibility that the Assad regime will be destroyed, and the Iranian ayatollahs weakened in the process, is blurring our vision and preventing us from seeing the rise of al-Qaeda in Syria. In March of this year, Jihadis mounted seven attacks against Assad. By June, they had led 66 “operations,” and over half of these were on Syria’s capital, Damascus. The Syrian opposition is benefiting hugely from the terrorist organization’s determination, discipline, combat experience, religious fervor, and ability to strike the Assad regime where it hurts most.
The territory in the Middle East that al-Qaeda covets most is of course Saudi Arabia, but Syria is next on the list. Now, Syria is not Syria to jihadis, but part of Bilaad al-Shaam, what the region was called when when borders did not divide the lands we now call Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and, crucially, Israel and the Palestinian territories. To al-Qaeda, these modern-day countries are based on artificial borders created after the First World War by the British and French, descendants of the eleventh-century Crusaders who occupied Jerusalem. Yes, al-Qaeda has a long historical memory, but it also has plans for its future. And in Bilaad al-Shaam, the future is looking good for al-Qaeda.
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Just as Syria is not Syria to al-Qaeda, al-Qaeda is not al-Qaeda as we know it to the rebel forces of the Free Syrian Army. For Syrian opposition soldiers, the al-Qaeda fighters are welcome Arab and Muslim volunteers, mujahideen, religious brethren who call themselves Jabhat al-Nusrah li-Ahli al-Shaam (Front for the Victory of the Levantine people), among other names. Not since the days of the Afghan jihad against the Soviets has global jihadism found this rare combination of native Sunni Muslim hospitality, a powerful cause, available cash, eager Arab support, Western acquiescence, and the constant arrival of young Muslims to fight under its banner to create an Islamist government. While exact numbers of jihadist fighters are hard to come by, it is a fact that in every crucial battle of the last three months, from Aleppo to Homs to Deir al-Zor to Damascus, al-Qaeda has been prominent.
This is who some Conservatives want to help. They want to aid the same people who attacked us on 9/11 and killed US soldiers in Iraq. I know Obama wants to assist them but that is given. Any Republican who wants to arm Al-Qaeda needs to watch clips of 9/11.
The Hizb’Allah drill is most likely either a plan to intervene in Syria or prepare for a showdown with Al-Qaeda/Muslim Brotherhood in Lebanon. This is a Islamic pissing match we need to stay out of.
Tags: al Nusra Front, Syrian War
