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War in Lebanon soon?
First, there was this piece in the (otherwise highly unreliable) Debka file website:
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DEBKAfile: USS Kearsarge Expeditionary Strike Group takes up position opposite Lebanese coast amid trepidation over September presidential election
Our military sources report that aboard the Kearsarge group’s vessels are members of the 22nds Marine special operations-capable Expeditionary Unit, ready to execute landings on Lebanese beaches.
Wednesday, Aug. 29, Adm. William Fallon, chief of US Central Command and the war on terror paid an unannounced visit to Beirut, although for years US generals have given the Lebanese capital a wide berth. He left after three hours, the longest time considered safe for him to stay. Our sources reveal he reviewed with Lebanese leaders US preparations for military intervention should the September presidential election descend into civil violence or elicit an attempt by Iran, Syria or Hizballah to seize power by force. Such an attempt could leave Lebanon dangerously stranded between two rival administrations.
The posting of the Kearsage and a marine force within reach of Lebanese shores is intended as a deterrent and indicator of Washington’s willingness to send the military over to prevent Lebanon’s takeover by Iran or Syria.
Adm. Fallon also inspected the measures for protecting the lives of the anti-Syrian leaders prime minister Fouad Siniora, majority party head Saad Hariri and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, and the safety of US ambassador Jeffrey Felton, a key mover in charting US strategy for Lebanon, and the embassy staff.
Portents of coming unrest were seen last week in the hasty departure from Beirut of the Saudi and UAE ambassadors under threats to their lives. Most Arab and European missions have cut down staff in the Lebanese capital.
Lebanese police are investigating the re-appearance of a sick videogame in Beirut whose goal is the murder of the prime minister, cabinet members, Jumblatt and Maronite leader Samir Geagea, who are designated “thieves and traitors.” Its name, “The Battle of the Seraya,” refers to the government building. The game, which has been removed from stores in Beirut, depicts underground tunnels leading from the government building to the US embassy, echoing Hizballah’s reference to the Siniora government as “the Feltman Cabinet.”
The government building has been guarded by tanks and three army and police battalions since the Hizballah-led opposition occupied downtown Beirut earlier this year with the declared aim of toppling the government.
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Intrigued, I looked around the internet and then found this earlier article:
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USS Kearsarge Strike Group Deploys
The USS Kearsarge and USS Ponce left Naval Station Norfolk on Monday. The ships are a part of the Kearsarge Expeditiionary Strike Group. Also today, The USS Gunston Hall left Little Creek for the mission.
The Commander of the strike group tells Your NewsChannel 3 the 5,000 sailors and marines are prepared for high combat operations and non combatant evacuation operations.
Families and friends stood in the rain to send the men and woman off. In fact the weather delayed the two ships from leaving Naval Station Norfolk for a couple of hours.
Although the Navy will not exactly say where the strike group will go overseas, it says it will be ready for any mission that confronts the sailors and marines.
Four other ships apart of the strike group ship our later this week.
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finally, one other news item confirmed that the Kearsarge Strike Group was indeed in the eastern Mediterranean:
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USS Kearsarge in Malta
Gospel Choir sings in Maltese Churches
Thursday, 16 August, 2007During a brief visit to Malta in the coming days, the Ambassadors for Christ Gospel Choir of the United States Navy Ship USS Kearsarge, will sing during two local Masses.
On Wednesday, 15 August, the Choir sang during the 6pm Mass at San Lawrence Parish Church, Vittoriosa. On Saturday, 18 August they will animate the 6.45pm Mass at the Mater Boni Consigli Church in Paceville.
The USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) is a Wasp class multipurpose amphibious assault ship. Her primary mission is the embarkation, deployment, landing and support of a Marine landing force. The crew is made up of 77 officers, 1,100 sailors and 2,000 Marines. Captain James Gregorski is the Commanding Officer and he is a native of Roslyn, Long Island, New York.
While in Malta, volunteers from the USS Kearsarge will, once again, lend a helping hand at a number of Maltese institutions. Community relations projects are a tradition of the U.S. Navy and several Maltese charities have benefitted from the generosity of the sailors who give up their free time to work on projects ranging from general maintenance to gardening. The Chaplains of the USS Kearsarge will also meet with H.G.. Archbishop Paul Cremona at The Archbishop’s Curia.
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Taken together these sources point out to yet another major Imperial deployment, this time off the coast of Israel. In the context of more and more indicators and warnings pointing towards a possible massive attack against Iran and the upcoming elections in Lebanon, not to mention Hezbollah’s frantic preparations for yet another Israeli aggression against Lebanon all the pieces appear to be falling into place for a major in the Middle-East.
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oops, I meant “Taken together these sources point out to yet another major Imperial deployment, this time off the coast of *Lebanon*.
(-: unless, of course, the USN is preparing to evacuate Olmert and the rest of his thugs
Unbelievable!!
I don’t trust Debka, but it sounds plausible enough.
They’re either gonna need the draft or hydrogen bombs if they really want regime change in Lebanon, Syria and Iran at the same time.
My gut says it’ll be a while still - unless they can seize a new pretext.
@Scott. I don’t trust debka either, but since many facts are corroborated (including the main ones (#1 that the group’s mission is landing & extraction and #2, that they are very close to Lebanon) combined with Fisk’s reporting (see here: http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2007/09/strange-goings-on-here-in-lebanon.html) that makes for a lot of red lights flashing on my mental dashboard.
Check with your contacts and let us know what they are telling you, ok?
Ah, don’t worry VS. The “Expeditionay Strike Group” is just going there to enforce Hucakbee’s proposed smoking ban
I have to admit that I already got it wrong once: I thought that the war was scheduled for March of this year. I am still amazed that this did not happen then. This time, the signals of something bad is coming up are again flaring up and again my guts are telling me to watch out. Last Feb. I actually went as fas as to issue a waring to all my friends for their travel plans and if any more signals start coming in I might do this again even if I look like the boy who cried wolf! better safe than sorry
This is a little off-topic, but since we seem not to have a place to post “general stuff”, I wanted to call everyone’s attention (and especially Scott’s and Vineyard’s) to John Robb’s latest. I’d be interested to know what you think:
http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com
“If you think the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will end with this US presidency, think again. These wars will likely outlast the next several Presidents.”
Now there’s a happy thought. Our rulers can continue there murderous rampages what seems without end.
“The threat that justifies the state and the perpetual war that codifies it. The ongoing threat of terrorism has become the primary justification for the existence of a strong nation-state…”
And the Amerikan sheeple will buy it everytime.
“The privatization of conflict. This is likely the critical factor that makes perpetual warfare possible. For all intents and purposes, the US isn’t at war. The use of a professional military in combination with corporate partners has pushed warfare to the margins of political/social life.”
Yup. Most Amerikans wouldn’t even know there are wars going on if they didn’t get there 1 minute blurb on the evening news. And some nights there isn’t even that. What may be the only thing that ends these wars is the economic collapse of the US, something Emanuel Todd has predicted in “After the Empire: The Breakdown of the American Order.” In 1976 he predicted the Soviet Union would collapse.
Thanks, Slim!
Any of you catch this debate between Ron Paul and Doug Casey and a couple of neoturds? Casey really took them to the woodshed. Ron Paul was great too…
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul406.html
Hey VS, you ever read “After the Empire: The Breakdown of the American Order” by Emanuel Todd the French historian/political scientist? If so, what did yo think of it?
Hey Scott, VS, all of you. Check this out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC-ZxzYneOQ&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Elewrockwell%2Ecom%2Fpaul%2Fpaul406%2Ehtml
Slim and Bob, why don’t I just have Ozzy sign ya’ll up as bloggers here?
Articles that I have read in recent weeks seem to indicate that people in Lebanon expect something to go down. This time around it seems like the US may have enlisted the Lebanese army along with Israel to go against Hezbollah. Here’s what I’m talking about:
U.S. Pledges to Support Lebanon Army
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/30/AR2007083000396_pf.html
Lebanese await the inevitable return of war
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2151730,00.html
Hezbollah’s leader warns Israel
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6945620.stm
Why My Lebanese Landlord Is Expecting The Worst - Robert Fisk
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/28/2828/
By the way, it seems to me like the US and Israel may be doing in Lebanon what they have been doing in Palestine - creating civil war. Once political rivals, Hamas and Fatah have been going at it with Abbas calling Hamas a terrorist group. Some in the Lebanese government now seem to be portraying Hezbollah as a rogue group causing trouble with Israel. This follows support from the US - just as the US is now supporting Fatah.
It would seem the official policy of the US is tto create death, destruction and total chaos in the Mideast - perhaps to justify a perpetual presence there and to draw Iran and Syria into the conflict. Combined with the escalation in rhetoric against Iran, the political failures in both Afghanistan and Iraq, Musharraf’s problems, and the continuing debasement of the world’s reserve currency (the dollar), things could get very ugly - both here and in the Mideast.
Scott;
We’re not worthy!!! We’re not worthy!!!
Seriously though, if you trust me with that, I’d be very honored.
@Bob: nope, I don’t recall reading Emanuel Todd’s book. Do you recommend it?
@Tom: yes. but Israel can help Fatah whereas nobody in Lebanon could oppose a Hezbollah/Aoun coalition. Not to mention that, unlike Hamas, Hezbollah has always refused to fight against fellow Lebanese. They did have some clashes with the Amal militia in the south, and they had one incident with the Lebanese Army, but both were very limited clashes. Hezbollah fundamentally opposes ANY Lebanese on Lebanese fighting and has, in the past, even refused to retaliate for direct assault on Hezbollah members.
Hezbollah is the most capable long-term thinking political entity I have ever heard of in my entire life. They make Hamas looks like impulsive kindergarten kids (and the US State Department looks like a particularly dumb blue-green algae in comparison).
Slim,
I like what you wrote here so far. Just so long as you ain’t a bigot or a socialist. Actually, I don’t even mind reds so much as long as they don’t advocate the state here.
Bob is obviously too cool. : )
it seems to me like the US and Israel may be doing in Lebanon what they have been doing in Palestine - creating civil war.
And Iraq too. Here’s a John Pilger article : The lifts in the New York Hilton played CNN on a small screen you could not avoid watching. Iraq was top of the news; pronouncements about a “civil war” and “sectarian violence” were repeated incessantly. It was as if the US invasion had never happened and the killing of tens of thousands of civilians by the Americans was a surreal fiction. The Iraqis were mindless Arabs, haunted by religion, ethnic strife and the need to blow themselves up. &
For the Americans, Zarqawi’s role was to distract attention from the thing that almost all Iraqis oppose: the brutal Anglo-American occupation of their country. Now that al-Zarqawi has been replaced by “sectarian violence” and “civil war”, the big news is the attacks by Sunnis on Shia mosques and bazaars. The real news, which is not reported in the CNN “mainstream”, is that the Salvador Option has been invoked in Iraq. This is the campaign of terror by death squads armed and trained by the US, which attack Sunnis and Shias alike. The goal is the incitement of a real civil war and the break-up of Iraq, the original war aim of Bush’s administration. The ministry of the interior in Baghdad, which is run by the CIA, directs the principal death squads. Their members are not exclusively Shia, as the myth goes. The most brutal are the Sunni-led Special Police Commandos, headed by former senior officers in Saddam’s Ba’ath Party. &
A secret militia run by the Americans is the Facilities Protection Service, which has been responsible for bombings. “The British and US Special Forces,” concludes Fuller, “in conjunction with the [US-created] intelligence services at the Iraqi defence ministry, are fabricating insurgent bombings of Shias.”
On 16 March, Reuters reported the arrest of an American “security contractor” who was found with weapons and explosives in his car. Last year, two Britons disguised as Arabs were caught with a car full of weapons and explosives; British forces bulldozed the Basra prison to rescue them. The Boston Globe recently reported: “The FBI’s counter-terrorism unit has launched a broad investigation of US-based theft rings after discovering that some of the vehicles used in deadly car bombings in Iraq, including attacks that killed US troops and Iraqi civilians, were probably stolen in the United States, according to senior government officials.”