It looks like some of Steve’s speculation this week has proven to be largely true. Olmert is now saying that the cross-border raid to capture the two Israeli soldiers was coordinated by Iran.
It makes the rest of Steve’s thesis all the more interesting.
Not sure exactly how much weight one should give to olmert’s comments here – certainly he realises that Iran are a threat, have been involved in Hezbollah activities, and present (in Ahmadinejad) a real threat to Israeli security; add to this the fact they’re public enemy number one on the US hitlist.
My info is that Syria, rather than Iran, have been the major backers in this and previous offensives. And frankly it does seem that Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has played a fairly canny game in all this – Israel are being villified by all, even the bloody Americans, for their disproportionate use of force. The question is whether there will be anything left of Hizbollah (or southern Lebanon, for that matter) by the time the UN finally arrives.
My info is that Syria, rather than Iran, have been the major backers in this and previous offensives.
And who are you…?
Israel are being villified by all, even the bloody Americans, for their disproportionate use of force.
Really? Can we have a quote, because that seems quite at odds with the reported words of Bush so far.
EWI – cheeky bugger, i might well ask the same question! I work in news, have a fair few friends based there (for broadcasters, NGOs, and press) and a lasting interest in the region. Don’t get me wrong, no one is denying that Iran has supplied materiel to Hezbollah, it just seems the impetus for this has clearly been Syria – and Bush’s overheard remarks serve to confirm this.
As to your other point, I’d simply ask you to consider this. The US has been instrumental in the efforts to democratise Lebanon over the past six years, and quite frankly see their hopes of another Middle Eastern base going up in plumes of black smoke. No one could say Israel had no mandate to act militarily, but the scale of the assault has taken everyone by surprise – not least the ‘merkins. If you think Bush would ever issue a public slap to the Israelis… well, that’s pretty farcical. Bush’s words certainly don’t represent the sum total of the American position.
A quick check reveals your link to FI Fie Fo Fum. Good work.