Hezbollah Leader Declares 'Open War' On Israel

[Purveyor]

BEIRUT (AFP) - Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah declared "open war" on Israel in a fiery speech at the funeral Thursday in the Lebanese capital of a top commander killed in a car bombing he blamed on Israel.

"If the Zionists want war, then they shall have it," Nasrallah said in a speech broadcast at the funeral of Imad Mughnieh. "If you want an open war, then let it be an open war."

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"The July war is not over, it is ongoing and no ceasefire was ever declared," Nasrallah said "The blood of Imad Mughnieh will contribute to the disappearance of the Jewish state."

---EOE---

http://tinyurl.com/yp39d8

[subsuelo]

1. Just what Israeli leadership wants

A green light to start bombing Lebanese neighborhoods again.

Pity the Nation...

[winter999]

5. Yeh, cause Nasrallah is really Masad. Working with Israel to

get the war on! :sarcasm:

[libodem]

2. I swear they are going to blame

Iran. They only have 10 months of CheneyBush to make the Neocons' dreams all come true. World War lll here we come. War without end. Heavenly Father's dream for the Earth.

[winter999]

4. Where have you been?! We've been in WWIII since Gulf-War I

[libodem]

8. ooops

my bad. Welcome to DU.

[Fredda Weinberg]

3. If Israel wanted open war, she'd take credit for the assassination n/t

[katty]

6. giving bush and israel exactly what they want

[winter999]

7. Nasrallah is a team player.

[subsuelo]

9. exactly

"Them" vs "Us" is not Arabs vs the West, or Jews vs Muslims, or even this State vs that State.

Rather, "them" vs "us" should always be perceived as the people vs the powerful. Failure to understand that difference amounts to victory for the powerful.

[Shaktimaan]

11. Perfect example.

Of the kind of simplistic thinking that represents why so many on the left view this conflict expressly in terms of Israeli crimes. In the real world, it's irresponsible to view every, single conflict strictly in terms of "the people" vs. "the powerful," or any kind of single reference point for that matter. (What does that even mean anyway? That those with power are always in the wrong? Those nations with MORE power do not represent "the people?" Who are "the people" anyway?)

What you are suggesting is that we look at history through a single lens, and by ignoring all other facets or means of analysis we will arrive at the real truth. Not only that, but it is an overly simplistic lens at that. I'll give you an example. Probably the most obvious example of us vs them in the past century was the US or "the west" vs. the USSR or "communism." In this case we're talking about two world powers in conflict over ideology. You might make an argument that the whole cold war was only about maximizing control over global resources or something, but by trying to fit the cold war into the mold of "people" vs. "powerful" at the expense of the other numerous compelling ways of analyzing it would be to deny any kind of real understanding. Such is the case for the ME conflict as well.

I find it amazing that people can look at one of the most complex conflicts on the planet and insist that it can only be understood by looking at it from within a single, truncated, formulaic system. For most of the history of Israel it has been about the entire Arab world vs. Israel. Now who exactly is "the powerful" and who is "the people" in that relationship? Depends. There's no "right" answer to that of course. Labels like that aren't very conducive to any kind of real understanding of history anyway, especially if removed from any other kind of context.

[LeftishBrit]

10. They've been at 'open war' with Israel for a long time!

Frankly, if there must be wars - anywhere - I would prefer if the people killed were always the top leaders, who chose to go to war, rather than ordinary civilians and conscripts. Mughnieh lived by the sword and died by the sword; but the real tragedy here is that so many ordinary people are dying when they had no choice in the matter.

I understand that Israel is denying responsibility for the killing. While I doubt that Israel is exactly sorry about it, Mughnieh doubtless had lots of enemies who could have carried out the attack.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

13. Would you feel that way if it were Olmert and Barak murdered? nt

[LeftishBrit]

15. I don't want them murdered(!); but I'd rather they and Bush, Brown, Ahmadenijad, etc, put their

own lives on their line, than send a lot of young people to risk their lives directly as soldiers, and put everyone in the vicinity in danger of becoming 'collateral damage'.

I always say that if there MUST be wars, I'd rather they were fought as duels between political and military leaders. I bet there'd be fewer wars then.

At least, Olmert's and Barak's younger family members must do military service - as they did themselves when younger, which MAY act as a deterrent to the leaders' readiness to go to war. You won't see Bush's or Blair's military-age kids in Iraq.

[Phx_Dem]

12. Report: Suspects arrested in Mugniyah assassination

Dudi Cohen and Reuters
Published: 02.15.08, 17:43 / Israel News

Syrian security forces have arrested several suspects in the assassination of senior Hizbullah commander Imad Mugniyah in Damascus on Tuesday night, a Lebanese security source reported Friday.

According to the report, the suspects arrested were mostly Palestinians residing in Syria. The source did not say how many people were detained.

The Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar, affiliated with the Hizbullah organization, reported Friday that the investigation conducted by Syrian security services into the assassination of the arch-terrorist was in advanced stages.

According to the report, investigators on behalf of Hizbullah and Iran were taking part in the Syrian investigation.


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3507243,00.html

[Phx_Dem]

14. 'Non-Arabs arrested in Syria'

Syria also arrested non-Arab foreigners suspected of being involved in the assassination of Hizbullah terror chief Imad Mughniyeh this week, the Lebanese Al-Akhbar reported Saturday.

According to the report, senior Syrian government officials suspect that Western intelligence organizations were involved in the assassination.

The suspects' identities were still unknown.

On Friday, a Lebanese security source told Reuters that Syrian security forces have arrested several Palestinians suspects in connection with the assassination of Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1203019390293&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull