Iranians Volunteer to Aid Hezbollah

[Ice]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/....ap/index.html

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Surrounded by yellow Hezbollah flags, more than 60 Iranian volunteers set off Wednesday to join what they called a holy war against Israeli forces in Lebanon.

This all depends on one thing.

Organizers said the volunteers are carrying no weapons, and it was not clear whether Turkey would allow them to pass.

Let's hope the Turkish government make the right decision.

[Vladimir]

Only 60? Didn't 1,500 from Iraq volunteer?

[Avicenna]

Iran, Vladimir.

[Vladimir]

Iran, Vladimir.

Yes I know how to spell (actually Microsoft Word does ). The point is that 60 is an infinitely small number. Maybe the fact that they want to march thru Turkey makes it newsworthy but I'm sure thousands more want to volunteer

Edit: Related Story

http://www.nysun.com/article/36326

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I say we (the USA) should arrange to convoy them across Iraq -- we definitely want these folks to get to the action before it finishes.

[Ice]

I say we (the USA) should arrange to convoy them across Iraq -- we definitely want these folks to get to the action before it finishes.

That's another way to look at it.

[Don Corleone]

Does anybody really doubt that Iran (and Syria for that matter) already have extensive support personnel and other 'advisors' in southern Lebanon?

[Idomeneas]

Does anybody really doubt that Iran (and Syria for that matter) already have extensive support personnel and other 'advisors' in southern Lebanon?

If they didnt they would be the worst strategists since the beginning of mankind. I dont understand what is your point.

[Don Corleone]

This business of "students to arrive to help Hezbollah" is a ruse. Whenever you read a story coming out of state-controlled media, you have to ask yourself "why is the government releasing this information"?

From this whole story it strikes me that Iran is trying to imply that they're not already in Lebanon, in an official capacity. My point is they sure are.

[Tribesman]

I say we (the USA) should arrange to convoy them across Iraq
Unfortunatly you have missed the chance Seamus , besides which why the hell would these "volunteers" be going via Turkey in the first place ?
The Iranian government in Iraq will ship them direct across the Syrian border .
It is one of the advantagesthat hezB'allah enjoys from being one of the only foriegn groups to have a safe diplomatic residency in Iraq outside the green zone .
A nice little arrangement where their Iraqi headquarters just happens to be part of the ruling parties headquarters .

[scotchedpommes]

From this whole story it strikes me that Iran is trying to imply that they're not already in Lebanon, in an official capacity. My point is they sure are.

I would have said that it was more clearly attempting to show simply that
people support action against Israel. And it is hardly a great stretch of the
imagination to say that people might sympathise with their cause, so I don't
see that state media would need to manufacture that.

[Idomeneas]

Iran surely supports Lebanon by all means and also surely the people have long ago more than one reasons to hate Israel. It would be rediculous to imply even, that iran doesnt promote its interests. US are wagging wars to the other side of the world whenever it has to do with their interests Iran wont play ball in its own neighborhood? Again i dont understand what is the point or the big discovery here.

And believe me while Israel is bombing civilians in order to punish them for the sympathy for hezB'allah, Arabic countries dont need to manufacture anything to gain sympathy in the eyes of the world. Damn even Anan who is sleeping when not someone pull his strings, was raged against Israeli tactics. If it was another country instead of israel i think that in no time would receive visit of a joined world forces under the patronage of US, plus that for the next 10 years they would be condemned to be the bad guys in hollywood action movies. But nope... its Israel... Nazis burnt them so that gives them the credit to screw the world around them and still whine about 60+ years ago events.
Just to set things on a logical base, cause we distil the mosquito and swallow the camel as the saying goes.

[ajaxfetish]

What tactics would you recommend for Israel? I surely don't condone attacking civilians as either a good thing or a winning strategy, but do they have any better options with attacks on their own civilian base and neither Lebanon nor the UN willing or able to stop it? It seems to me like a lose-lose situation with no clear path to follow.

Ajax

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Some tactical thoughts:

I've read that Israel has suffered about 50 casualties, with less than 20% being civilian.

Current reports place Lebanese/Hizbollah casualties at about 500, with more than 80% of those identified as civilian.

Let's assume that these reports are accurate (difficult to tell at present, but I have no reason to assume they are not).

Does this suggest:

a) Israel must be targeting indiscriminately, producing all sorts of casualties that have no bearing on the conflict.

or

b) Israel is targeting a concealed enemy that is actively mixed into a civilian population in order to create civilian casualties as a "P.R." obstacle to Israeli efforts.


Anti-Israeli media efforts are clearly labeling it as "A" while the Israelis and Israeli apologists label it "B."

[Banquo's Ghost]

Anti-Israeli media efforts are clearly labeling it as "A" while the Israelis and Israeli apologists label it "B."

Indeed, so we can be pretty sure it's both.

Tonight on the news there was footage of a convoy of civilian cars and ambulances trying to get out of Tyre with a lead car clearly marked, and having sought permission from the Israelis to travel - which had been issued. They were still shelled.

On the other hand, there is no doubt that Hezbollah are embedded in villages for protection. They have also upped the ante by firing a longer range rocket into Israel, the Khaibar-1. I have been unable to find information on this, but it may be a variant of the 45 mile range Iranian-made Fajr-5.

Hezbollah rockets