Terrorwonk asks After Mughniyah: Will Hezbollah retaliate?
Taking these factors into account, this may have been an ideal time for the Israelis to remind their enemies of their capabilities and serve justice to one of the world’s most wanted terrorists. Nonetheless, the prospect of a retaliatory strike cannot be ignored. If it comes, it will probably be outside the region. Direct attacks on Israel from Lebanon could invite retaliations in Lebanon which would isolate Hezbollah even further in the current Presidential stand-off. Israeli institutions worldwide will undoubtedly be on high alert. Hopefully Jewish communal institutions and U.S. military bases (the other favored Hezbollah targets) will also tighten security. One thing is certain.
This attack does not put Hezbollah out of business and it will undoubtedly review its internal security carefully and identify how crucial information about Mughniyah’s whereabouts leaked. About 35 years ago, Fatah faced the same problem of protecting its leaders from Israeli assassins. The response was to establish an elite bodyguard that became known as Force 17. It was with Force 17 that a young Imad Mughniyah began his long and terrible career.
I had been speculating that perhaps with a critical leader taken out under Syria’s scrutiny, it might put a crimp in Syrian operations and perhaps lead to an opening in Lebanon. So TerrorWonk puts that idea to rest.
However, what if, as Time (and some others) alleges, Syria or Iran did it just to show that they were good guys? John Podhoretz doesn’t think they have anything to worry about.
Get it? Iran and Syria might have killed the terror master they created and ran in order to prove they will take care of bad terrorists — but you know, they won’t be willing to be so noble and charitable should the United States do something against them. This is one of the most embarrassing pieces of geopolitical analysis ever published. And in Time’s glorious tradition of doing everything it can to think the best of tyrannical Arab states. Well done, Time (rhymes with crime).
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
So now they will ramp up their attacks on Jews and other infidels, and the media will blame all the ensuing carnage on THIS act.
They will forget that these very groups have called for Israel to be destroyed since day one, and focus on this “assassination” as the start point, once again blaming ANY problem on the Jews…
Media will “forget” all the past acts of hatred that these terror networks have committed and have promised TOO commit in the future.
All the payed pukes for major networks will speculate on how if Israel only gave the arabs half their country everything would be great, and peace will reign forever and ever…
But honestly, if this starts a “new” war it will be the best for Israel anyways. If SOMETHING doesn’t happen it looks like Israel’s own LEADER is set to do more damage than ANY terrorist attack EVER did.
I say if they attack and kill hundreds of Jews somewhere, the dome of the rock gets bulldozed off the side of a cliff.
Israel’s already a pariah anyways, why not enjoy the freedom of being labeled as such for a time?
I almost scalded myself with hot tea I burst out laughing so hard when I read that assertion by Time & others..
Pitiful.
Well we can all be thankful that this assassination did not “open the gates of hell” the way that other targeted killings had.
No indeed. We can all be thankful that all that will happen is yet another round of ‘murder the Jew’ will occur. And that, once again, the MSM will blame the victims instead of the terrorists.
The Chicago Tribune couldn’t even call the no longer living blight on humanity a terrorist. Oh no, he was simply a ‘fugitive’.
No doubt the Tribune editors believe he was being wrongly targeted, and that a ‘one armed man’ was the real guilty party.
Any wonder the Tribune is cutting staff?
Again?
I’m outraged that Mughniya was killed with a car bomb.
He should have been made to die a long, agonizing, painful death.