Wink, I'll answer both A and D.
It probably has to do with simple nationalistic pride... no country wants foreign troops on their soil, no matter what they're there for.
Same thing sort of in Iraq... people were glad to get rid of a dictator but generally don't want Americans there. This is coming from someone who supports our efforts in Iraq, but just being realistic.
Can't I pick all of the above? Israel of course has no choice but to call the bluff.
The Lebanese army is not a cohesive force. I see it splitting up, with the Muslims fighting for Hezbollah and the Christians and Druze fighting against them.
I cannot imagine a more opportune time for the Moderates to take a stand.
From all the silence, I have to conclude that the actual number of Moderate Muslims in the world is vanishingly small.
What it means should be painful obvious. You defend yourself from those who would kill you. It matters little who else they are trying to kill or why.
E) Lebanon supports Hezbollah
Thats nice. Kill 'em all. Don't waste time sorting. There is no difference between terrorists and their enablers.
This is a strike planner's wet dream - get all the bad guys together. Makes targeting them easier.
This is easy. Lebanon is trying to dissuade Israel from a ground invasion. The thinking is that Israel will limit their efforts to creating a new buffer zone. Lebanon's gambit is that Israel wants nothing to do with a ground fight that goes to Beirut, which would be highly likely if the Lebanese military engages them in the south.
It truly sucks to be Lebanon.
They are either with us or with the terrorists. They chose poorly.
The muslim world reminds me of the Sopranos. It's like Saddam is Tony, now that he's in jail, all the other crime families are trying to gain his power.
B) This is a prelude to inviting the Syrian military back into Lebanon, despite the fact that many Lebanese wanted them out because of Hariris assasination.
I can tell you that option B will happen over the Lebanese dead bodies. If they ever do, I'll there and shoot my fellow Lebanese myself.
(Posted moments ago on "The Corner")
Lebanon Will Fight Back [Kathryn Jean Lopez]
From Haaretz:
Lebanon's army, which so far has sat on the sidelines of the violence raging in the country, will fight an Israeli ground invasion, Defense Minister Elias Murr said on Al-Jazeera television Thursday.
"The Lebanese army - and I stress - the Lebanese army will resist and defend and will prove that it is an army that deserves respect," he said.
In most of the previous Israeli attacks, including in 1978 and the 1982 invasion in which Beirut was occupied, the Lebanese army largely stayed out of the fighting
(Meanwhile, on FNC, we're watching Israeli troops line up on the southern Lebanon border.)
Used to be Shia were only 35% but they've upped their share substantially over the last 50 years.
Folks talking about the government of Lebanon are faking it ~ they know that the only government in Lebanon is Hizbollah.
If Lebanon has a force capable of fighting, why didn't they use it to disarm Hezbollah, as they had promised to do?
So much for "moderate" Lebanon.