The sniper attack by Lebanese Army soldiers on August 3rd. 2010 that killed Lt. Colonel Dov Hariri is a prime example of everything that is wrong with the Obama Middle-East policy.
This attack and its aftermath also indicate how politically savvy Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become.
Anyone who takes the time to read and inform themselves on the diplomatic and security issues that Israel faces today knows well enough that the LAF (Lebanese Armed Forces) have become nothing but stooges of Hezbollah and Iran.
Sadly President Barak Obama has been arming the LAF as a counter to Hezbollah’s militia. Now that Hezbollah influences the LAF, those arms will be used against Israel -- a disturbing situation for Israel, certainly, but also for the USA. In fact, President Obama should be worrying over whether it was an American-donated gun that ended the life of a father of four.
It makes no difference that he was a soldier; there is a UN cease-fire that was admittedly broken by the Lebanese forces. The UN itself -- far from a friend of Israel -- has openly stated that this fracas was the fault of the Lebanese snipers, who opened fire first.
This is not where it ends. This was a deliberate provocation by Hezbollah, using the Lebanese army as its trigger. Hezbollah wants to divert attention away from the UN Tribunal for Lebanon, which will undoubtedly name Hezbollah big wig Mustafa Badr al-Din responsible for the assassination of former Lebanese, PM Rafik Harari.
It’s not just Hezbollah that is afraid. Syria, Hezbollah’s sugar daddy, has been pushing to have the Tribunal closed. Why? Because everyone knows that Hezbollah would never have carried out an assassination of this magnitude -- in the Arab world, mind you-- without Syria’s okay.
Israel’s restraint, considering Lebanon’s provocation, is an example of how PM Netanyahu has matured into a true world leader. The Bibi of old would have gone to war in seconds, like former PM Ehud Olmert did in 2006. That would have been a political victory for none other than Sheik Hassan Nashrallah.
It is never easy for us here in Israel to accept the deaths of our soldiers. I myself at first was angry with Netanyahu for not ordering Lebanon to be blasted away. Had we done that, we would have given Nashrallah and his thugs their “get out of jail free card” from the UN Lebanon Tribunal.
On the other hand, this incident makes it more apparent than ever that the appeasement shown the Arab world -- at Israel’s expense -- by the Obama administration has made America look weak. That is not good for Israel, America and her Arab allies.
Turkey has run into Iran’s arms. All the achievements gained by the Bush administration in Lebanon have been lost in a year and a half. Hezbollah, shrugging off UN resolution 1701 has rearmed and is reigning supreme again (that means Iran). Hamas, also almost destroyed militarily during operation Cast Lead has been allowed to rearm in Gaza.
All the intelligence circulating now says the Arabs do not want a war. That, incidentally, is also what all the intelligence was saying before October 6th. 1973 … the YOM KIPPUR War.
I don’t buy it. intelligence invariably fails to take into account the fallibility of Arab leaders and their unceasing ability to believe their own rhetoric. Bashir Assad and Hassan Nashrallah are not of the same mold as Anwar Sadat. They are made of the same mold as Gamal Abdel Nassar. We must never forget that, believing his own rhetoric, Nassar led Egypt into the Six Day War.
Assad and Nashrallah, believing their own lies and a weakened America are now driving full speed ahead, with Iran navigating towards war with Israel.
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