so where are all the folks who care about Lebanon?

[Sirotnikov]

Indeed. The international community should be ashamed that it hasn't resolved this particular refugee crisis after almost 60 years...

Actually this I agree with.

It's a bleeding disgrace that this festering wound goes on. No Arab country wants to solve it. No western country wants to solve it.

I'd respect the UN more if it had done something about it - even at Israel's expense. At least I'd see that it has balls to do something. Currently it has less credibility in the region than Hamid Karzai.

[BeBMan]

Didn't you post sometime ago that you're an evil Hobbesian (as opposed to some girly-man Kantian idealist)?

So why should anyone care about this?

Maybe you're not so evil, eh?

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Ecthy


Don't worry. I GOT THE POINT now.

Sorry! The administrator has specified that users can only post one message every 30 seconds.

What was the thread? I missed it

[Ecthy]

If you want to see some uncalled for authoritarian action of Ming, do something against the rules now.

Sorry! The administrator has specified that users can only post one message every 30 seconds.

[LordShiva]

I want to know what you did, so that I don't do the same thing.

[Ecthy]

Well then you'll have to do a Winston. Don't question authority.

[Winston]

Right.

[LordShiva]

You mean respect teh authoritah?

[Ecthy]

[lord of the mark]

Re: Re: so where are all the folks who care about Lebanon?

Originally posted by Arrian


I've been following it. I almost made a thread on it yesterday, but didn't have anything brilliant to say about it.

-Arrian

I think the Lebanese govt has no real choice but to eliminate this group. I think they are entirely justifed in using means that do not deliberately attack civilians, but that do endanger civilians - unfortunately the terrorists tactics and the situation on the ground make that hard to avoid.

I just find it ironic that this is being done by the same Leb govt that complained about a similar approach by Israel last year.

[Arrian]

Well, Israel should be quite happy, as this is the sort of thing they've wanted Lebanon to do for some time.

I agree it has to be done - Lebanon has to be able to control their own country. Far better (for Israel, at least) for the Lebanese army to do it, rather than the IDF. That innocents are caught in the middle is obviously sad. Also sad is the near certainty that even if this particular group is wiped out to a man, the underlying issues will have not been resolved and it'll all happen again at some point in the future.

One wonders what Hezbollah (and its Syrian masters/backers) is up to in all of this...

-Arrian

[MOBIUS]

Getting ready to kidnap some more Israeli soldiers to add to the ones it's still got?

[DinoDoc]

Re: Re: so where are all the folks who care about Lebanon?

Originally posted by Wernazuma III
If we had a Libanese aneeshm, that would change the thing.

Normally, I'd say MOBIUS would fill that role but there are no dead Jews or Americans for him to masterbate over so you got me.

[lord of the mark]

[QUOTE] Originally posted by Arrian

Well, Israel should be quite happy, as this is the sort of thing they've wanted Lebanon to do for some time.

I agree it has to be done - Lebanon has to be able to control their own country. Far better (for Israel, at least) for the Lebanese army to do it, rather than the IDF. That innocents are caught in the middle is obviously sad. Also sad is the near certainty that even if this particular group is wiped out to a man, the underlying issues will have not been resolved and it'll all happen again at some point in the future.

Are you referring to the common roots of AQ type terror, or the specific issues in the camp? The real root of specific issues in the camps is the treatment of them as a state within a state in Lebanon. The necessary prerequisite to solving their problems is the assertion of Lebanese sovereignty over them.

The broader roots of AQ terror we dont all agree about, and perhaps it is better to continue to agree to disagree.

One wonders what Hezbollah (and its Syrian masters/backers) is up to in all of this...

Hezb has publically supported the Leb army - they could hardly do otherwise, as Sunni extremists are not popular with their constituency on the ground in Leb, they are aiming for diplo acceptance, and even their Iranian sponsors maintain a public stance of firm hostility to AQ, and have had their own problems with Sunni extremists in Baluchistan.

Some ministers in the Leb govt say that Fatah Islam in fact has backing from Syria. Clearly one could come up with reasons for that to be true, and equally one could come up with reasons why the Leb govt would say so even if it wasnt true.

I do wonder how Fatah Islam ended up so heavily armed.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Arrian
Well, Israel should be quite happy, as this is the sort of thing they've wanted Lebanon to do for some time.

Israel has wanted the Leb govt to clamp down on Hezb, which is strong in S Lebanon and attacks Israel. This current thing is happening in far North Lebanon, way out of missile range of Israel. Im not sure theres any particular Israeli interest, other than general opposition to Al Qaeeda, and a general desire to see Lebanon assert sovereignty over its own territory - interests shared by most of the rest of the world, I think.