[National Review] W. Thomas Smith Jr. - Hizbullah is rehearsing for something big. A few days ago, between 4,000 and 5,000 Hizbullah gunmen deployed to the Christian areas of Beirut in an unsettling "show of force," positioning themselves at road intersections and other key points throughout the city. The operation served as a probing action to determine local reaction, and as an exercise to gauge the time required (speed, synchronization, etc.) to achieve control of key points. Amazingly, there was no response from the police or the army. Hizbullah is jamming cell-phone signals almost daily. Their lookouts are everywhere, and they are watching the people I'm with and me. Hizbullah is far better armed, equipped, and tactically proficient than most Americans might realize. They are terrorists to be sure, but they are also a very strong Iranian-trained guerrilla force and they seem to be getting a pass from far too many people in high places.
2007-10-01 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive