Pat Buchanan was on Imus this morning and made some sense about the Middle East. He is anti-Jewish (not anti-Semitic, because he doesn't seem to have a gripe against the Arabs), but, that doesn't prevent him from making some good points:
1. In the Middle East, Hezbollah is looked upon as the only power to have defeated Israel, in the 1980s war in Lebanon. That's not the way I understand what happened, but I can see where somebody looking for a victor after decades of fiascos might grasp the fact that Hezbollah was never defeated by Israel, despite a huge invasion. Lebanon was destroyed, but not Hezbollah.
2. If the Israelis do not come close to wiping out Hezbollah, it will be considered another defeat, and rally terrorists and Arabic nationalists to their flag.
3. Al Qaida is trying to get some news space by calling for a Jihad. The truth is, it is a minor organization compared to Hezbollah and is likely to become more minor after the death of al Zaqari (sp). As usual, Bush is fighting the wrong enemy. Not that Al Qaida doesn't need to be fought, but over 100,000 military types in a country where they didn't have a base before we moved in, is obviously a huge wrong way Corrigan by Bush.
4. Syria and Lebanon are all talk. They are less help to Hezbollah than our non-British allies are to the coalition of the coerced in Iraq. Of course, the Republicrooks want to hit these countries because they know where their leaders are. Hezbollah is harder to tie down.
5. Buchanan noted that the Israelis were loath to fight a land battle. They would win, but it would be costly in lives and perhaps, not accomplish much. Once again, they would be providing Hezbollah with prestige among Muslims.
6. An air war cannot knock out a terrorist organization.
7. He laughed at the idea of a UN force. Nobody seems eager to send their troops to die over there.
What he didn't mention was that even the ever belligerent Ronald Reagan surrendered in Lebanon.
He makes the situation sound impossible. I doubt if that's the case. But it sure does look too tough to end the problem permanently over the next week or two, which is what the news is spouting.
Yes, Buchanan is a nutjob, but he does occasionally deviate from the Bush/Fox News/Limbaugh/Coulter nutjob script. |
