Domino theory revisited

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the Syrian military on Monday to raise its readiness, pledging not to abandon support for Lebanese resistance against Israel.

Diplomats in Damascus say the Syrian army has been on alert since the Israeli onslaught on Lebanon began on July 12 after Hizbollah fighters captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border operation. Scotsman

…even moderate Arab governments have turned into U.S. critics, and Hezbollah's support has climbed across the region.

Hezbollah "is becoming a regional icon," eclipsing even al-Qaida, suggests Mideast scholar Shibley Telhami, a professor at the University of Maryland. Macleans

Fourteen Jordanian lawmakers asked the government Monday to end an exchange of envoys with Israel over the Jewish state's deadly attacks on a southern Lebanese village.
"We ask the government to undertake its historic responsibility and immediately recall Jordan's ambassador in Tel Aviv and expel the Israeli envoy in Jordan," the lawmakers, mainly independents, appealed in a written petition. Easy Bourse (Communiqués de presse), France

…the convergence of five forces in the Arab world that have never come together as they do this week:

■Impassioned public opinion.

■Sustained armed resistance by non-state actors.

■Firm government positions that align with both of these elements.

■Non-stop mass media dissemination.

■A sense of Israel's military vulnerability.

Sorry about the snippets, but I am trying to illustrate the enormity of the US tactical blunder at a time when words are not flowing as easily as outrage.

True the domino theory proved to be little more than a propaganda myth when it was first rolled out. Now we are seeing what it really looks like.

The worst scenario now is if the warring Islamic factions put aside their differences, with a whiff of Western blood in their nostrils.

Can an administration which cannot deliver an effective ‘Homeland Security’ be trusted with international security? The answer is clearly no!