Well inspite of the negative views expressed here by those who cannot get beyond the F-14, the Super Hornet is and has been for years now, doing it’s fighter-bomber role of killing the bad guys on the ground, which is, if you have been looking carefully, is where the action is. The SH will only get better but there will be those here who will claim it was a failure long after the last ones are ready to retire. :rolleyes:

Sauron

No need for the world to worry anymore the French and Italians are in the game now and with their combined proven abilities and superior diplomatic skills Lebanon and the M-E in general will be OK now. :rolleyes:

It was an iffy start for the French though. After taking the lead at the U.N. with the Americans and crafting a strong draft resolution and talking big about sending 2000 troops they then turned around and said they would only send 200! In addition, they then ran around getting the U.N. to back off from the provisions which provided for the disarmament of Hezbollah when it became apparent that all their arab friends were unhappy with that prospect.

After wasting everyones time and after they realized that Italy would take the force leadership because it was commiting a much larger force, Chirac changed his mind again and said he would send 1600 troops. Leave it to the French to try and lead from behind. :rolleyes:

Did we realy expect anything different?

Sauron

One can only marvel at the stupidity of the Hezbollah leadership in provoking Israel especially since Israel withdrew from Lebanon back in 2000. Like Hamas, Hezbollah has demontrated that even when Israel withdraws from occupied territory it will be attacked sooner or later proving that the ultimate goal is the destruction of Israel, not a settlement. Those supporters of Hezbollah who are claiming Israel should seek diplomatic solutions and not strike back when attacked must be annoyed to say the least.

Hezbollah may have won the propaganda war with Iran and Stria forced to go along with it but in every other respect they are losers and the so called called “Arab street” knows it.

Sauron

Well the double standard is plain for all to see and is applied on this forum. We can debate about what terrorism is and who is one or who was one, but whenever the subject comes up in the context of the middle-east, the very existance of Israel and its actions always becomes the justification of terrorist acts commited by others in the region. Perhaps one could argue that the so called acts of Jewish terror commited against the British ‘occupation’ of Palestine were justifiable because of events that occured during WW2.

Unless I am mistaken, Israel is the only nation which has been officially branded a terrorist state by the U.N. but that same organization has been unable to define what terrorism is! On the other hand it refuses to call Hezbollah a terrorist organization. No double standard !

Anyway, lets not forget that Hezbollah (Iran) has stated its goal is the distruction of Israel. Regardless of what happened in the past, that is the current reality and Hezbollah’s statements have to be taken seriously.

Sauron

Ah. So we have one standard of behavour for Israel but none for the Party of God.

Sauron

The fact that Hezbollah moved into southern Lebanon under the noses of the U.N. force is hardly in dispute.

During the last go around, Hezballah fighters were using various U.N. positions as cover. This fact is published in supported by the U.N. on it’s own web sites for anyone to read and includes details of Israeli troop movements and other military details and summations which in effect constituted very timely intel and must have been very useful for the Hezbollah commanders who were reading these reports.

The idea that another Chapter 6 U.N. force will accomplish anything is joke given the current leadership. If the U.N. was actually serious, it would seek a chapter 7 mandate to send a balanced force made up of NATO, regional M-E and Lebanese troops equiped to take on Hezbollah in it’s weakened condition. This would also weaken the hand of Syria and Iran.

The only other hope is that the Lebanon government will rally and find the courage to confront Hezbollah on it’s own before it can recover from the losses it suffered at the hands of Israel, which would posibly inspire enough of the males of fighting age who vacated their country using foreign pasports, to come back and fight for their country.

Sauron

Well the guy claiming to have defeated Israel is in hiding somewhere. Usually leaders who have won a victory have the courage to make their speech live in front of the adoring crowd. :rolleyes:

Business as usual for this forum. Some drooler will find a way to make an anti-American slur by way of some story no one can verify. :rolleyes: