Heh - the "secular regime" that is propped up by its Islamofascist masters in Iran and has armed and otherwise supported Islamist militant groups like Hezbollah and Hamas for decades...
I trust the author of that article a great deal more than most people on issues here. He is an ex MI6 and lives at least part of the time in Lebanon. He set up a conflict resolution organisation in Lebanon and really knows what is going on. He gets hands on talking to people in Hezbollah. He is the person the EU got to work with Hamas to get them ready for talks and felt he had just about got them there when they changed their mind and instead listed them as terrorists and stop talks. When we were looking into the Lebanon war in an article he said something about what Hamas had done. A poster wanted to know how he would know. He may well have simply asked them, so he is not someone who does not know the situation intimately and who does not have a lot of knowledge about how these things work. Though now I have thought about it a bit more, he has in the past been a bit more optimistic than how things came to pass. All that being said he was discussing the situation on 18th Feb and my point to Gilos was that it appeared that Israel's problem is that she could not handle not being the leading power in the area. The article was dealing with things as they were in Feb where he was right that the next step Israel might take was ask Washington for help but wrong that Trump and Putin had come to an arrangement so the US would not respond....and behind all that is the T4 and Putin saying that Israel must stop destabilising Syria. Israel from what her papers have been saying has been trying to work out how she will progress all week particularly after the US left without Regime change. That really is where we are now. That is where we have been the last week. That I see as the current drama. Not only Crooke but Martin Indyk both believed that Israel does see Russia as the dominant player in the region. My point was simply that Israel has been used to being able to fly and bomb in Lebanon and Syria whenever she wanted and that being challenged seemed to be the root of the issues Gilos was talking about not any genuine danger. That is understandable. Not only has Israel had this ability but she is run by the extreme right who change history all the time to fit with what they want next - the very last sort of people who would want to lose any power, but power changes are always difficult at the best of times. Now as to what will happen. That is for the future but at the moment the Iranians in Syria and Hezbollah are people who Russia works with and she has said it is unacceptable for Israel to come in killing them. That makes more than sense. That Israel who has been able to do anything she wants should get upset by this is also understandable. We need to see how it develops. I appreciate that being an Iranian living in Iran you have a much more vested interest in how this resolves. I am still at Israel calling in the big boys because she knows she is not going to get her own way all the time. That is what I see as the current situation. I do not know how things will resolve. I believe Crooke thinks the geopolitics of the region are now changed and just need to play out. He of course can afford to be an optimist. To you I think it is too close to home. You see a very definite future you want and see the possible ways which will stop this coming into being. Anyway the future we do not know. What we do know is that Israel has to deal with a situation where her ability to do what she wants rather than what she needs looks like it is in danger of being to some extent curtailed - something she does not want.
The day they opened their doors for business and every day ever since, just because you can't and won't see it doesn't mean it's not happening
exactly. So nearly 11 years ago. Since then Israel has been bombing Lebanon regularly resulting in a return attack
I appreciate your post and the reasoning behind it. I am not optimistic, however. I honestly don't see Russia as being anything more than a speed bump that will actually end up doing more to actually cause a crash than to prevent one. To be a major power, you need to have a serious agenda and be willing to pay the price for it. When everything is negotiable and you can negotiate it when everyone, the side which is willing to raise the ante and costs, will always be able to steer the calculus towards inaction and worse. It is not just Russia, however. Iran is in many ways at its nadir when it comes to its ability to stand up to these agendas. Internally, it is divided and, besides the fact that none of the camps represent a course I find ultimately hopeful, that division itself -- coupled with the imbalance of power that exists -- makes it even more difficult for Iran to pursue a coherent line. The whole image of Iran that exists in the west is fundamentally a propaganda lie, but that doesn't change the fact that Iran has numerous issues of its own nor the fact that those tasked to handle these issues have issues of their own in return. To be sure, I am not saying things are entirely hopeless. Those playing these games in the US/Israel are engaging in what is no more than a sport for them -- their threshold for pain and costs is low. Never mind Russia, even Iran can meet that threshold. If neither want to pay the price though, it is better if they just hand in the keys and stand aside. Otherwise, for anyone to lead, what is needed is either power or conviction and preferably both. If you have neither, it is definitely better to stand aside and fold completely, sooner as opposed to later.
Please share your sources that you claim that the Israeli president admitted that he lied .. I'm waiting ...
What is needed is to go after the Zio Jews infesting western government, the dual citizenship fifth columnists, get rid of their influence and the Jewish State will have to fight its own wars.
Let's just say; "to keep Israel under serious pressure by posing a permanent threat against it right next door there"... They managed to infiltrate Israeli army once, yes I admit, but they are nowhere close to be able to destruct part of Israel let alone destroying it.
Honestly, I see more a Need to kick the Royal Bastards in Saudi Arabia in their ass for their criminal behavior and Actions in Yemen ... where the USA Close all eyes about, because big friends and so they can do quite the same crimes as Hezbollah which you blame here...
Seriously? Get the reality that Israel is again acting outside any international law ... as so often ... and gives a crap on others. And they can do it, because the USA back it! But if anyone else is Action the same way as Israel who is no Close friend, then it is of course something else and not comparable! Rediculous!
Both Hamas and Hizbollah owe their existance to Israel. And if they are that much Islamists, then one would expect to see them join ISIL, Al-Nusra and all of the other "rebels" in Syria, right? Wrong. In fact, there is hostility between them and the real islamists, who are wahabists influenced by Saudis. Hizbollah is one of the most engaged outfits in the war against ISIL. It is rather Israel and the US give comfort and support to the wahabist rebels. What does that means to you? To me it means we're fighting on the wrong side.
The real reasons why there wasn't more missile are all explained with the presence of the Bear. The ME isn't Israel's playground anymore. That is why someone "quietly" bombs Syria. Thank Jove for the presence of the Bear, who defends stability and secularism in the ME, doing what we occidentals are supposed to be doing (as we were told), in the face of immoral, interested opportunists like the US, Israel and the Sauds.
The Sauds were wanting to bomb Syria at the weekend and now they are asking to replace US forces in Syria. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...ce-american-troops-saudi-arabia-egypt-uae#top
Yea, define every occupied area as a military zone so that you can stay there. Deception is the same as lying. Netanyahu admits to halting the Oslo Peace deal and it's on an amazing thingmyjig called the internet. Isreal are taking more and more land
It does not concern you? The Saud's and their quarrel with Iran being the reason for the Saud's and their friendship with Israel? According to the article Prince is also wanting to put his mercenaries in, in place of the US. They also say the Saud's are unlikely to use their own forces being too busy destroying Yemen and her people and would probably instead put together her own mercenary army. The first thing that came to my mind was yet another attempt to keep Syria unstable and prolong the effort and expense of the Russians. It could also allow the US to just be using proxies in the area and lesson her risk of personal involvement. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...ce-american-troops-saudi-arabia-egypt-uae#top
I am pleased at the thought of the Sauds (or the Israelis) getting what they deserve so much at the hands of Iran, Syria and Russia, without direct input from the US for WWIII's sake. Besides, both of their military forces are a joke, one being on the losing side in Yemen and the other one is fat from abusing helpless beggars for decades in the most cowardly manner. It should pass soon.
I agree with you though that appeared to be the original intention before Russia caused waves making the bombing less than satisfactory for some. In addition the Express is still suggesting many of the targets were missed. https://www.express.co.uk/news/worl...-Trump-USA-Arab-Army-Iran-Russia-Israel-Assad
If it wasn't for Russia, Syria would be a fragmented Sharia state where homosexuals are thrown off roofs and women condemmed to be breeding properties etc etc, as well as the theatre of an incoming war with Iran, just like Israel wants it, as we speak.
Yes that sounds pretty like it though I think the Saud's had an even bigger desire for this than Israel or maybe it was just that there they hit the same objective to put them side by side.
So, back to T4 https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news...-air-defense-system-in-syria-strike-1.6011804 Note the US approved this. Israel apparently worked hard to destroy their self defence system before it was set up and useful. They will need to be more careful when they get S300.