Inside Hizballah's Preparations for the Next War

Time Via Yahoo.news ^ | 5/10/2010 | Nicholas Blanford

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

With a startled shout from the outcrop above, the Hizballah fighter bounded down the rocky slope, cocked his AK-47 rifle in a dramatic flourish as he drew near. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, his face a mix of anger and astonishment. "This is a military zone. You should not be here."

It turned out that the youthful militant had been guarding a small outpost created by the Shi'ite militia on a remote mountain top in south Lebanon. The location was well chosen, offering the Hizballah men commanding views over the hills and valleys of the southern Bekaa Valley, a likely battle front if a widely-anticipated - and feared - war breaks out between the Iran-backed group and Israel. (See rare pictures of Hizballah's youth movement.)

The question of whether these rugged hills will see yet another war depends less on the likely combatants than it does on the U.S. and Iran. Hizballah is viewed as one component of Iran's deterrence against a possible attack on its nuclear sites, should diplomatic efforts fail to resolve the standoff with the West over its enrichment of uranium. And recent conversations with Hizballah fighters reveal an organization at the peak of its military powers with an army of well-trained, disciplined, and highly motivated combatants wielding advanced weaponry, cultivating new tactics, and brimming with confidence.

"The next war is coming one hundred percent, but we don't know when," says Ali, a thickly-muscled university student. "We have big plans for it. God willing, you will see the end of Israel." (See pictures of Lebanon in crisis.)

[camerongood210]

Go ahead and get it over with already...

[Bryanw92]

>>cocked his AK-47 rifle in a dramatic flourish as he drew near

Imagine the wording of this phrase if they’d be describing an armed American citizen.

“cocked his black AK-47 assault rifle dangerously with a smirk and unsubtle gleam of uncontrolled mayhem in his eyes as he threateningly drew near”

[mcshot]

I think those mountain top locations will be ringing with the sounds of shrapnel.

[throwback]

"It doesn't matter. We can always rebuild. Our dignity is more important than roofs over our heads," says Haj Rida, a square-jawed unit commander.

Think the "two state solution" matters to these guys?

[Spok]

“God willing, you will see the end of Israel.”

Obama is willing. Never has a U.S. president done more to instigate a war than Obama’s handling of israel and the Palestinians.

[Recon Dad]

The Israelis will have learned from their last incursion to prep the battle field with lots and lots of Cruise Missiles.

[tet68]

Imagine the wording of this phrase if they’d be describing an armed American citizen.

The armed American militaman examined the cooling body
of the liberal reporter, “Good shot placement, penetration,
my job here is done.”