Iran, Hezbollah, Building Syria Militias
February 11, 2013 14:55 by Pesach Benson
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Today’s Top Stories
1. Beitar Jerusalem was in the news when the soccer team’s first ever Muslim player took the field, despite the opposition of some of the club’s more hard core, racist fans. (On Friday, arsonists torched the team’s offices, destroying trophies and club memorabilia.)
Last night’s match, against Bnei Sakhnin, ended in a 2-2 draw; Although most fans applauded when Chechen-born Gabriel Kadiev took the field, 70 fans were kicked out of the stadium during the course of the evening. Take your pick of AP, Sydney Morning Herald or AFP coverage.
Gabriel Kadiev gets last minute instructions before entering the game.
2. Iran and Hezbollah are building militias “to preserve and protect their interests” for the inevitable day after Assad is toppled. Not something Israel will like next door. The Washington Post got the scoop:
The militias are fighting alongside Syrian government forces to keep Assad in power. But officials think Iran’s long-term goal is to have reliable operatives in Syria in case the country fractures into ethnic and sectarian enclaves . . .
In a divided Syria, Iran’s natural allies would include Shiites and Alawites concentrated in provinces near Syria’s border with Lebanon and in the key port city of Latakia. Under the most likely scenarios, analysts say, remnants of Assad’s government — with or without Assad — would seek to establish a coastal enclave closely tied to Tehran, dependent on the Iranians for survival while helping Iran to retain its link to Hezbollah and thereby its leverage against Israel.
Experts said that Iran is less interested in preserving Assad in power than in maintaining levers of power, including transport hubs inside Syria. As long as Tehran could maintain control of an airport or seaport, it could also maintain a Hezbollah-controlled supply route into Lebanon and continue to manipulate Lebanese politics.
3. Things always get convoluted when Israeli reporters interview Syrian opposition leaders. It was the same old-same old when Ronen Bergman interviewed Sheik Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib. The Sheik ended the interview when he realized he was talking to an Israeli.
According to Bergman, the Sheik didn’t say anything exciting, but pro-Assad media misrepresented the remarks for its own purposes. The NY Times writes:
Yet the episode appeared to have been more than a simple misunderstanding. Syria’s conflict is not only a shooting war but also a propaganda war. Pro-government media apparently could not resist the chance to bolster their contention that the rebellion had been promoted by Israel and the West . . .
Israel and the Palestinians
• Gaza tunnel diggers to Haaretz: The Egyptian army’s flooding our tunnels. But the BBC’s Jon Donnison tweeted his skepticism.
• The Famagusta Gazette slams the Cypriot government’s decision to upgrade the Palestinian mission to “embassy” status.
• Mark your calendars: Arafat forensic inquiry to report in June.
• Xinhua: Hamas is complaining that the Egyptians are imposing travel restrictions on Gazans. Tsk.
• For more commentary/analysis, see The Guardian (staff-ed).
On the next page:
- Hezbollah provides cheap housing; just don’t touch the rocket launchers in your basement.
- Mideast angles on Pope Benedict’s resignation.
- What’s an unemployed journo to do when Al-Jazeera’s the only US news service hiring?
Frank Adam
6:07 pm
Feb 11, 2013
I responded to the Grauniad as follows bu they have removed my reply per “Community Standards”:
Best advice on a touchy subject is cut all epithets as they obscure the argument and potential exits.
Next the Israeli GDP is $240 Billion pa, so cutting $3 Billion will NOT make a significant difference now that drones which Israel makes, are taking over from conventional fighters. It will be to Israeli political advantage to wind up the military aid so cutting US leverage over her.
Consider that one reason this problem has festered is cowardice to pressure the Arab parties by [at least threatening] the end of subs and aid to UNWRA pre 1967, and the PA since Oslo, if the Palestine Arabs continue refusing what is UN twin state policy since 1947.
The disasters of the Arab Spring and Iraq and Afghanistan before that, should clarify that dysfunctionality in the Arab World has more to do with Arab internal stresses than anything arising out of Israel which is the excuse for displacement psychology – not just on the South shore of the Mediterranean either.
Since 1948 the number of Palestine Arabs killed resulting from Arab rejection of UN 181 might just reach 20 000 maximum. Haj Amin the Mufti claimed 12 000 in 1948 and the Second Intifada reported 4 000. The number of Arabs and other Moslems killed by Arabs since 1948 runs over two million starting with the million dead of the Iraq – Iran Gulf War I; followed by the Syrian induced Lebanese Civil War & Black September, a couple of Algerian civil wars and the Moroccan invasion and occupation of the Saharawi, Nasser’s intervention in Yemen, Saudi ditto in Oman at Buraimi Oasis and the Eritrean War of Independence, Libya and the Aouzou Strip of Chad, and no doubt other incidents under the Arab League carpet.
If anybody is disproportionate about Israel and its UN endorsed right to be and to defend itself, it is Arab hypocrisy. To close the point do not forget the Turkish invasion, ethnic clearance and settlement of North Cyprus which turns the deliberate set up of the Mavi Marmora into “peanuts.”
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Henry Federman
7:57 pm
Feb 11, 2013
In honor of Purim I suggest that the president of Iran from here on should be known as ” Haman-Dinejad”. Both enemies of Israel !
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diana
11:55 pm
Feb 11, 2013
Sorry, I can’t help my weird sense of humour, thus in honor of Purim:
LOL! So,
1) the Iranians sent a monkey into space.
2)Jews are like monkeys and apes.
3)Iran sent a Jew into space.
4)Jews are taking over the Iranian space program.
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batya dagan
2:02 am
Feb 12, 2013
Islam and smuggling came into the world on the same day.NOTHING will stop that.
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Iran, Hezbollah, Building Syria Militias | The Conservative Papers
7:15 am
Feb 13, 2013
[...] a Hezbollah-controlled supply route into Lebanon and continue to manipulate Lebanese politics. VN:F [1.9.22_1171]calculating…Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)topsyWidgetPreload({ "url": [...]
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Middle East Media Sampler, February 13, 2013
5:24 pm
Feb 13, 2013
[...] you’ve read the New York Times you probably know about how the racism of some of Israel’s soccer fans reflects the racism of Israeli society as a whole. Shmuel Rosner’s To kick a ball down the [...]
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