LAT: Strengthened Hezbollah Celebrates Swell of Support

[DeepModem Mom]

Hezbollah Celebrates Swell of Support
By Megan K. Stack, Times Staff Writer

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Hezbollah's urban nerve center is a shattered shell. Its most loyal followers trudged homeward to a heartland laid to waste. And yet the Shiite organization lighted up the night sky with fireworks on Monday and declared itself triumphant over Israel.

Israel meant to break Hezbollah with its month-long offensive, but instead the militant organization is strengthened politically in Lebanon, analysts said. The movement has a fresh boost of popularity, at least for now, and an renewed sense that it is entitled to keep its own armed militia outside the control of the Lebanese army, they say.

The newfound clout enjoyed by Hezbollah has come at a staggering cost to Lebanon's infrastructure, economy and civilians, hundreds of whom died under the rubble of Israeli bombs. The fragile central government, which the U.S. administration strove to polish into an example of democracy taking root in the Arab world, has also suffered from the month of fighting....

***

The U.N. resolution that paved the way for the truce calls for Hezbollah's disarmament. So, for that matter, does an earlier, long-ignored U.N. resolution. But the terms of giving up the weaponry are vague. And as a prominent party in the Lebanese government, Hezbollah will have a hand in deciding how and whether the language translates into fact.

If anything, analysts said, the monthlong war has managed to worsen Lebanon's underlying instability, bolstering Hezbollah at the expense of more moderate, secular figures in government....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-lebanon15aug15,0,7225418.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[bluestateguy]

1. You could argue that Hezbollah won the war

Maybe not overwhelmingly, or that it was a tie.

In any event, I just want to get back to domestic issues and ignore foreign policy for awhile.

[MADem]

2. This will not be the end of it

Hizb'allah is determined to crap on Lebanon, wipe their ass with it, and take it over and ruin it like PLO and Fatah did back in the day. I feel sad for the Lebanese people.

This is like an intermission. They'll be back at it again, I would wager.

[Warren Stupidity]

3. You should research what Hezbollah actually does in Lebanon.

I know that you feel comfortable with your view of Hezbollah but you fail to understand why they are so strong in Lebanon and have such wide support there. If they are crapping on Lebanon, why do the Lebanese people support them? Why have they become the dominany political party for the shiite population of Lebanon?

Hezbollah acts much like the IRA acted in Northern Ireland. They have a very well organized political wing, a very strong militia, and a vast network of social services that function as the de facto government for the shiite population. They do just the opposite of crapping on Lebanon. Like the IRA they have become so integrated into their base of support that attacking Hezbollah becomes an attack on the entire shiite population.

The idiocy of Israel's broad air war against all of Lebanon is that it has spread Hezbollah support out beyond its shiite base. Now Hezbollah stands as the only force in Lebanon that fights the Israeli invaders. In a wrecked nation, it will be Hezbollah's social wing that will bring services to much of the nation. As Israel withdraws from its second failed bloody attempt to destroy Hezbollah, it leaves behind the only military force in the muslim world that has stood up to the IDF.

This vile bloody comedy will have its closing act as the IDF and Hezbollah exchange prisoners and bodies in a deal that could have been made last month before this war started.

[cali]

4. Exactly right.

H'zbollah is deeply interwoven with the communities of Southern Lebanon. Pretending that they're merely a gang of thugs, ignores the facts. And of course, you're right about the exchange of prisoners- though it's understandable that Israel finds the prospect of releasing Samir Kuntar, an unpalatable one.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samir_Kuntar

[JuniorPlankton]

5. Indeed

How can they release this guy?

[cali]

6. Oh, I think it's worth it.

Painful to be sure, but if it brings this whole sorry episode of death and destruction to an end, it's worth it.

[The Stranger]

8. Oh my god. Mark the calendar.

Cali -- we agree on something!

:toast:

[MADem]

11. I know full well what they do in Lebanon

They do what the Muslim Bretheren do, what PLO did, what all these militia groups do. They have three heads--political, charitable, and militia. The militia functions INDEPENDENTLY from the other two.

I am talking about the MILITIA. I don't think kindly of people who murdered 241 of my shipmates and shot at me.

Fuck them. They aren't a military force, they are a gang of thugs, hired by Teheran. A military force doesn't hide amongst and behind the civilian population to shoot off their rockets.

And if you think this deal could have been stopped with a prisoner exchange, you are very mistaken. Nasrallah WANTED this. If he didn't get it with this soldier murder/capture, he would have gotten it with the next (he didn't get it with the one BEFORE this, did he?).

The only thing that surprised him was the intensity of the Israeli response. The only hope is that Israel got enough of their stockpile to prevent it from starting up any time soon, and can find ways to monitor arms shipments from Iran. Unless UNIFIL has a good ROE, they'll be worthless in numbers as they have been with a few grand of soldiers playing volleyball and working on their tans...

[zreosumgame]

14. well, to fight a nuke power

with tons of US supplied planes and DED's (brand name bombs) and more trained troops to a stand-still is a victory. At a hugely deadly price....

[mom cat]

7. Nobody ever thought that .......

Hezbolla would come out of this even stronger.

[David__77]

9. They will quickly surpass their old operational capcacity.

They have won the firm support of the large majority of the people of Lebanon, who will give all kinds of aid to their forces. Surely they will resupply as well. This is a tremendous defeat for the Israel forces.

[Bretttido]

10. Indeed, they won militarily, and more importantly for them, politically

I forsee a much strengthened hezbollah in the future. Hopefully they will also adopt a more moderate view of the state of Israel.

[ConcernedCanuk]

12. Israel lost by destroying civilians homes, infrastructure and loved ones

.
.
.

Just as the USA has lost in Iraq

"Where have all the flowers gone" ?

(sigh)

[Supersedeas]

13. but but but Dimson said they suffered a defeat--why why why are they

celebrating?????????????