Sunday, August 06, 2006

Wag The Dog or The Next Domino?

I've been watching the events in Lebanon & Israel this past week or two. I can't help but wonder if this isn't a well-timed distraction from the mess in Iraq, or perhaps a product of the crumbling region?

CNN has put Iraq on the back burner. The folks in the White House must be awfully happy about that. There have been some crucial events taking place involving some of the actors involved in Iraq recently. The death rates are rising, civil war is imminent, Rumsfeld is being pushed to resign, Bush is about to send a bunch more American kids there, and the court martials of some horribly misguided American troops are about to take place. Why aren't these things getting more press? It makes one wonder if there isn't an element out there that is thankful for the Israeli aggression? Deflect attention from the mess in Iraq and the criminals who are orchestrating this madness can continue to do as they please.

On the other hand, the Israel/Lebanon fighting could just be the next hot zone. The borders of the countries in the Middle East don't necessarily separate folks with differing beliefs or desires, except perhaps the Israeli's. How many of you could tell me the difference between an Iraqi and a person from Iran? So, aggression in one country is bound to spill over to others. Imagine a war that required Canadians to defend their country...don't you think that quite a few Americans would also feel threatened and perhaps feel obliged to take up arms? The US aggression is Iraq, in my view, has threatened the stability in the entire region.

The US governments unflinching support of Israel may come back to haunt us. They are not well loved by the other countries in the region. Check out the footage of the Sunni's marching in the streets of Iraq chanting "death to Israel". Iran is more than ready to come to the aid of Hezbollah, if need be, that's not a good thing. The leadership in Iran is not afraid of anything. They are a hell of a lot more dangerous than Iraq ever has been. They are driven by deep religious convictions. Engaging a group that is driven by religious ideology is a million times more difficult than fighting a secular country like Iraq. We need to look for a peaceful solution to all of this stuff. Let's stop antagonizing these folks!

One interesting thing I've noticed recently. The health of Fidel Castro has been in the news...we see the Cuban exiles in Miami partying in anticipation of his death. This is seen as patriotic. At the same time, Lebanese are marching in the streets of Beirut calling for the death of Israel...these folks are terrorists? This is a double standard.

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