Exclusive: Iran-backed Hizballah offensive closes in on Israeli border

Debka ^ | 05.10.08

[Perdogg]

DEBKAfile’s military sources report: Hizballah’s advance on two key Lebanese locations Saturday, May 10 had immediate effect on the strategic balance between the Iran-backed Shiite group and Israel. Sidon in the south, Lebanon’s second largest city, which provides Hizballah with control of a continuous coastal strip from its southern Beirut district all the way to Tyre.

The second point is on the northern slopes of the Hermon range. After Hizballah seizes control of this enclave and the Syrian 10th and 14th armored divisions step over the border into Lebanon, the two forces can join to form a strong military line opposite Israel near the Litani River.

[Perdogg]

Related item

[Perdogg]

The time is drawing near.

[JasonC]

Debka. Falsehood. They are in the dictionary under "synonym".

[elpadre]

I hope they don’t try to hold back to win favor with the West as they did last time. They are in a fight for survival and can’t afford to worry about the leftist Western media and governmental types.

[Alas Babylon!]

Yeah, but even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

Hezzbalah is a danger to Israel, and Hezz is slowly strngling poor Lebanon, with Iranian and Syrian approval.

[SatinDoll]

<...opposite Israel near the Litani River...>

Anyone know how close that it to Meggido?

[elpadre]

I don’t understand your post???

[JasonC]

People on FR frequently repost articles from Debka. Debka is a propaganda mill that flat makes things up whenever it feels like it. You can't trust a thing it says, ever. Regardless of the supposed content of the story, the source is utterly worthless. If it says the sun just came up, look outside to make sure.

[PAR35]

Debka - enough said.

[Captain Rhino]

Based on some quick research, Meggido (a corruption of Har Meggido) is located between Mount Carmel and the Valley of Jezreal (sp). Mount Carmel overlooks Haifa from the south and the valley slants away along the mountain range to the southeast toward Nazareth. Some distance from the northern border of Israel. The Litani River is to the north of the border.

[DoughtyOne]

The Plains of Megiddo, near present-day Jezreel, Israel,...

Found a reference out the by Googling Megiddo....

It may not be all that accurate, but it's probably a safe bet.

[Michigan Bowhunter]

Israel ought to just go in and TAKE BACK what they have given back. Nuke Mecca. Nuke the Aswan dam, and make Tehran the worlds largest glass factory.

Now, back to my beer.

[wildbill]

Remember that Hezbollah has been fortifying a line near the Israel/Lebanon border ever since the last Israeli incursion a couple of years ago to recover their two soldiers.

Israel had a hard time then with Hezbollah bunkers hidden in houses and the countryside. They would have a hell of a time in a new war if they tried to move against Hezbollah.

I think this latest move by Hezbollah is part of a very well-executed strategy that has been in the planning for a long time.

[badpacifist]

Debka....snicker

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Iran has pulled the trigger in Lebanon because they are having their asses handed to them in Iraq.

[rahbert]

Regardless, I cannot find fault with the article itself.
What they claim is happening, is indeed happening.

Now, what are we going to do about it?

[JasonC]

Personally, I'm going to go get news from a reliable source, instead of patronizing this propaganda dreck.

[freerepublic_or_die]

If Debka says the sun just came up, I’ll just check the time.

[livius]

I think this latest move by Hezbollah is part of a very well-executed strategy that has been in the planning for a long time.

Many people seem to be simply dismissing it with a shrug, and I honestly don't see why. I agree with you that this is something that has been in the works for some time. I wonder to what extent Iranian activity in Iraq - where they must certainly have known they had no realistic chance of winning - was meant as a cover for a grander plan.

[ThePythonicCow]

According to the post Hezbollah amassing real estate north of Lebanon’s Litani river (posted Feb 26, 2007, on tearsforlebanon.wordpress.com), the Syrian and Iranian backed Shiites have been amassing for sometime in the Hermon (for Mount Hermon, which might also be what's called Mt Zion -- I'm unsure here) mountain range (also known as the Anti-Lebanon range) running down the east side of Lebanon, along the border with Syria. This year old map shows the area, outlined in a dark circle, that the Shiites are gaining control of and amassing military power within, thanks to great funding apparently from Iran and its puppet Syria.

The Shiites are mostly leaving or laying low in the southern most portion of Lebanon, where the July 2006 Lebanon War was fought most heavily and where the United Nations now patrols, supposedly buffering Lebanon from Israel.

This map shows Lebanon in more detail. The Litani river (Nahr al Litani, on the map) runs down the largest interior valley of Lebanon, and then the river turns to the west. You can see this turn in the Litani river just to the southwest of the city Marji'yun. The Litani then heads west to the Mediterranean, north of Tyre.

The Shiites also control along the coast of Lebanon, according to this current post, from Tyre to Sidon. Notice the names of these cities, by the Mediterranean, on the above map. According to theage.com.au: Iran's hand seen in Lebanese 'coup' by Adam Pletts, Beirut, May 11, 2008 the Shiite's have extended their control now up to the Muslim half of Beirut. This current Debka article might be saying the same thing, that Shiite control has extended to part of Beirut, but I can't parse Debka'ize, so don't know.

Ah - here's a clearer map of the same area, from UT (Univ of Texas):

I have to think that the anti-Lebanon, aka Hermon, mountain range, technically within Lebanon, along the border with Syria, is geographically far more within the control of Syria now, given it's superior funding and "will to power".