Monday, April 29, 2013

To whom it may concern: 'Syria's red lines'


'Are the drums of war beating louder?
It is becoming clear that a major front is being carefully prepared in the region – from the “ever-ready” Israelis, to the West that dreams of resurrecting its colonial past, to the Gulf monarchies whose fate is tied to regional developments, to the uneasy Jordanian regime, and Lebanon’s March 14 forces.
The fact of the matter is that each side is coming closer to crossing the red lines drawn by the other, which could spark a major multi-front war in the region.
Everyone is eager and motivated, and their enthusiasm for war comes after having failed repeatedly in toppling the regime in Damascus, or returning Iraq to Washington’s bosom, or isolating the Resistance in Lebanon, or stopping Iran’s nuclear program. In addition to these failures, there is the growing fear that Russia could soon become a full-fledged member of this anti-Western axis.
Washington’s foes in the region are entering a new phase – particularly in Syria – where after two years, they are finally beginning to succeed in implementing effective countermeasures to contain the armed opposition. Their efforts are more coordinated than before, with both Iran and Hezbollah making it known that they will not hesitate to defend their Syrian ally against any foreign military aggression.
The other side is also developing new approaches, such as focusing on the Jordanian front, where the Saudis have been commissioned with overseeing the Islamists and the US has upped its direct involvement in training and logistics.
The West cannot tolerate the possibility of an Assad comeback, whereby Iran and Hezbollah would have tremendous influence over decision-making in Damascus and perhaps gain control of its strategic weapons, including its feared chemical arsenal.
As for the anti-Western front, their red lines are as follows: stiff Russian-Iranian opposition to the fall of Assad under any conditions, preventing any foreign intervention or any qualitative shift in the arming of the opposition, and a more recent red line which comes in the form of warnings against an Israeli attack against Syria.
Behind the scenes of the war over Syria, there are those in Tel Aviv who are seriously considering some sort attack on the Resistance in Lebanon. Despite the real possibility that this could spark a regional war, Hezbollah’s enemies at home and abroad are betting on a party that is isolated and vulnerable due to the Syrian situation.
It is therefore important to point out the following to friend and foe alike: Hezbollah’s preparedness tops most estimations of its military abilities. And despite the fact that it has had to reveal some aspects of its growing power in order to deter its enemies, it has what it needs – particularly when it comes to strategic weapons – to fight a bitter and prolonged confrontation.
It is useful to remind those thinking of taking action against the Resistance that its arsenal of rockets has reached such a scale that it can launch in single day more than what it fired in all 33 days of the July 2006 War combined.
It should also be known that there is a major current within the party – including among the civilian and military leaderships – that believes it would be to their advantage if the Zionist enemy does in fact take such a step, which will lead to unveiling the surprises the Resistance has in store for them.'

No comments: