Yeah, it's all so extremely complicated and interwoven, that we really need some kind of scorecard to see all the different players.

Well, it doesn't appear to be complicated for these kids that want to send a special message.

:(

I'm going to drink, now.

How many times do we have to say it?

NO BLOOD FOR OIL!!!!

You can say it all you like but I'd love to know what role oil plays in this conflict.

Hezbollah is a legitimate branch of government in Lebanon and even holds seats in their parliament although it's militant/terrorist arm was originally funded and supported by Iran and by association, Syria.

Hezbollah is an Islamic fundamentalist group and this 'war' has everything to do with religion and very little to do with oil.

That's an odd usage. A political party is not a "branch of government", even if they have candidates elected. Sinn Féin may have candidates in office, but this does not make the IRA a "branch of government".

sm was being ironic.

Still is.

cross posted from favorite paranoid fantasy....

Heard on radio yesterday that the Administration feels that the impetus of the aggression by Hisbollah wrt to the captured Israeli soldiers was from *Iran* in an effort to distract attention from themselves during the upcoming G8 Summit.

Hmmm.

I'd argue the 'usage' of the phrase as semantics. In Lebanese politics there are many different terms for different areas of the political forum which are not used in the US political forum. Suffice to say that Hezbollah is a legitimate political party in Lebanese politics although their terrorist arm is not sanctioned officially.

Spex, you're 100% correct. The idea I was trying to get across is that it was during the 10 year war thanks to the Iranians that Hezbollah even exists, although it'd just be the same animal by some other name under other circumstances I guess.

Then what would constitute an *illigitimate* political party? Foreign funding?

This "unsanctioned terrorist arm" nonsense is bullshit: a huge shell game. Publically take credit for acts of charity, but when it's time to launch a barrage of unguided rockets targeting civilians or wear a semtex and ball-bearings vest into a pizza parlor...oh, gee...that must have been somebody else; we're all politicians here.

It's so legitimate that the UN Security Council told them two years ago to pack up their guns and get out. They responded with a string of assassinations and continued arming.

"Semantics" isn't an argument. Semantics is the study of the meaning of words; if "semantics" is a reason to dismiss an argument then there's no point in arguing.

You know, I thought this wasn't going to escalate much beyond the skirmish that is going on right now and that cooler heads would prevail. Other countries in the area are holding firm and not getting directly involved and Israel doesn't seem too intent on involving anyone else at this time.

...and then Washington had to make it more interesting.

Good to see some people are happy about this war. (via Boing Boing)

Sadly, I've never gotten "the glory bumps" while reading any Cellar threads. (maybe this thread will do it for you?)