On the Syrian-Lebanese-Iranian alliance.
Lebanon Is NOT Innocent (David Horowitz Slams The Lebanon “Innocent Bystander” Myth Alert)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1671142/posts
Here's some very related information about Lebanon for those acquainted with geography, sub-populations and sentiments in the area.
Maronites are the predominant Christian population in Lebanon.
Harb pledges to be forceful president [Maronite "ready to fight" Israel, "protect Hezbollah"]
Lebanese Lobby (Lebanon) ^ | 11SEP07 | Francis Matthew
Posted on Wed Sep 12 03:12:26 2007 by familyop
"Beirut: Boutros Harb, long-serving Maronite Lebanese Member of Parliament, is standing for president and reaching out to the Shiite Hezbollah, across the political divide in the country.
[...]
"I have proposed that the Lebanese army and government must be in control of declaring war, and that we should find a way to incorporate Hezbollah's forces into the army. But this has to be on the condition that the Lebanese government and army accept the full duty of being ready to fight and protect Hezbollah if Israel attacks," he said, adding that it was also important that Lebanon had to liberate the occupied territory of the Sheba'a Farms from Israel."
Lebanese leaders call for unity [All of them support the terrorists. ...always have.]
CNN International ^ | 20JUL06 | CNN
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1668991/posts
"The ship is sinking and all of us, the Lebanese, should stick together and work together to stop the Israeli aggression," Amin Gemayel, a Maronite Christian who served as president from 1982 to 1988, told the Arabic-language TV station Al-Jazeera . . . Michel Aoun, a one-time commander in Lebanon's 15-year civil war who now serves in parliament, said . . . "I don't think that Israel has the capability to destroy Hezbollah militarily because Hezbollah is not a group of armed men," Aoun said. "Hezbollah is a major part of the Lebanese social fabric."
Lebanon Turns to the Vatican to Halt Israeli Offensive
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1668754/posts
Vatican Condemns Israel for Attacks on Lebanon
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1665678/posts
I'm going to allude to cultural differences going back thousands of years here. We, the majority of Americans, tend to lean away from the original cultures of Ishmael and Ham (his mother's heritage) without any basic tendency to initiate antagonistisms against that general culture. Granted, that culture has initiated antagonisms against ours, and some southern European constituencies have long covertly assisted it in doing so in propaganda and trade.
Here in America, we should be Americans in culture. Our culture and morals should continue to be more northern than southern (in re. European divisions) in domestic relations and relations with our allies. That was the nature of the establishment of early American society and our nation. Neither fascism nor communism suits us. We should not be cultural southern Europeans for the sake of any tie overseas--not even a religious connection (see WWII). In WWII, Americans fought as Americans--all kinds.
Many in Iran identify with many southern Europeans in a way and like to remind others that Iran means Aryan and that they are not Arabic. Well, we're more northern than that in morality and associated essence (think Norse, Gaelic, Anglo- and the like, see Reformation meetings in Holland before migration to early America with following 200 years of establishment in American law and society). Not Aryan or Nazi but northern--big difference there. And if nations with significant culturally southern populations want to continue blending with northern culture and identifying with it, they may continue to trend toward supporting it in every way (including cultural change leaning northern).
In fewer words, the U.S.A. is not Madrid, Rome, Athens or Syria. It's the U.S.A. And although many of our recent political politicians and influential constituents don't support Israel, the majority of Americans by far does support Israel. That's where the votes are, and that's where they'll be. So yes, Syria and its big brother, Iran, will be disarmed and eventually denazified.
So far as I've been able to find out, most of the suicide bombers Pape researched were from the 1980s. It's natural that the first generation of Hezbollah would have leftist roots.
That was a whole generation back, though. I really doubt most 20 year olds in the group today went through the Communist Party or had much experience in a socialist group.
Great post, familyop!