[humint]

The type of relationship Assad and Chavez share with Tehran has some interesting similarities. Personally, I expected militancy from both but neither shows willingness to make a commitment to die for what they are doing. It’s early to make this assessment but Assad has demonstrated he’s significantly weaker than his opposition, the Muslim Brother Hood that subscribes to an ideology willing pay the ultimate price. The Israelis have exposed weakness among the West’s enemies on many levels beyond the ME. They showed that Chavez and Assad don’t actually believe in what they are doing! Both have been caught up in a series of successes based on countering globalization. IMO, this means neither need to die. What it means is they need to be deposed (potentially killed in the process) so the more powerful latent anti-West forces within their communities can be exposed. Once those are revealed, let the bullets fly.

Chavez and Assad are in the way. Figure out a way to bump them in order to take care of the real problems of the day. These are the lessons of Hamas and Hezbollah democratic successes. Thanks go to Israel for relaxing and allowing the world to learn them.

[M. Espinola]

That's a very well stated overview.

Behind a lot of the public posturing of Chavez and Tehran's Islamic thugs is the fact their anti-Western nations are both members of OPEC. The oil weapon has been discussed as an economic back door attack among the broadening Axis of Evil in case some of their key cohorts are threatened with being overthrown, killed or captured.

In terms of Assad, the chemical weapons factor (Saddam's former WMD) would push Israel to take swift and devastating counter measures directly against Damascus.

[Marine_Uncle]

What you say is hard to dispute, not that I would want to.
Criminals of a feather, stick together, improving on an old adage.