By Jack Lee
(Fatah fighters drive out Hamas from Gaza) Despite the ongoing diplomatic exchanges and peace talks, there are obvious signs that both Syria and Israel are preparing for war. The same might be said of Syria’s axis of evil partner, Iran, except Iran has been on a high state of alert since we invaded Iraq, so their war footing is old news.
Last year President Bashar Assad of Syria said he was interested in peace with Israel but he also said he would consider war to regain the Golan, lost by Syria in the last war. The Golan Heights is a fairly small plateau, but it is home to 40,000 Israelis. Despite the development and farming, the Golan still looks like a battle ground, with shell holes and rubble. It’s seen extremely heavy fighting twice in the last 50 years.
Speculation over war is rampant in the Middle-East as evidence by this excerpt from the Arab American Press, “Some observers predict a hot summer in the Middle East. They think Olmert will seek Bush’s backing for another war in Lebanon, perhaps extending this time to Syria, to finish off their common enemies Lebanon’s Hizbullah and President Bashar al-Asad’s regime in Damascus in preparation for a joint assault on their ultimate nemesis, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad in Tehran.” I say that’s not likely. I would prepare for ice skating in Hades before we see the USA and Israel launching a joint forces attack on Iran. Still the rumors of war persist and the military maneuvers within Israel and Syria give credence to the speculation.
Factional fighting rage in both the Gaza and Beruit and that threaten the shakey peace and I refer to “peace” in loosest of terms.
Gold is up sharply today as well as crude, reflecting the new mid-east tensions.
That tension may also be in part because of our two naval battle groups that includes two carrier and 150 strike aircraft. They have assembled on the approaches to the Iranian coast. Or it could be because both Syria and Iran are funding Hezbollah fighters against the sovereign government of Lebanon and Hamas against moderate Fatah forces in the Gaza. Both areas, the Gaza and areas around Beruit, have been the scene of heavy fighting in recent days and weeks.
It is not inconceivable that Syria and Iran see an opportunity for broad fundamentalist battle front stretching from Tehran to Damascus using proxy fighters from both Hezbollah and Al Qaeda to do their dirty work. Obviously, once this area is destablized, it would make it easier for Syria to make a move on the Golan and for Iran to push harder in Iraq.
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