Oct 11 2024 34 mins 2
Several students and friends asked me to discuss Hezbollah. I did not feel I was the best person to do this, but agreed to share what insights I had. I hope you find this podcast useful.
I have a Hezbollah flag in my attic. A student gave it to me in 2000 when Hezbollah, under the leadership of Hasan Nasrallah, beat the IDF after a deadly 18 year-long fist fight. It was the first time that an Arab army had beaten the IDF.
I cannot tell what is going to come next. Israel is pounding Lebanon, including Beirut. 1400 people have been killed in the last month. As I type this note, news reports say that Israel has flattened an apartment complex in downtown Beirut. They have also hit a UN Peacekeeping group. This at the same time they are asking the UN to step in with more peacekeeper forces to stabilize the area south of the Litani River. It is hard to see their logic. And a few days ago they blew up a Red Cross/Red Crescent medics tent and killed ten medical personnel. Six were cousins of one of my favorite former students. And they are threatening to turn Lebanon into another Gaza. That sounds very ominous.
Moreover, they are preparing something deadly for Iran. When Israel killed Nasrallah, Iran responded with a barrage of missiles. Most were intercepted or landed without serious damage. Now Israel is preparing to respond for the response. Their Defense Minister says their strike will be "powerful, precise, and above all-- surprising. They will not understand what happened and how it happened."
To be honest, I am very nervous.
