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Inside the Middle East
December 7, 2010
Posted: 1116 GMT

A series of U.S. diplomatic cables from early this year directly accused Syria of supplying advanced weaponry, including SCUD ballistic missiles, to the Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.

U.S. protests to Damascus met with persistent denials, according to the cables, which were published by the WikiLeaks website.
At a meeting in February, according to one cable, a senior U.S. diplomat stressed Washington's concerns directly with Syrian President Bashar Asad, "who bluntly stated that he knew of no new weapons systems going to Hezbollah."

But just a week later, an urgent note from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the U.S. Embassy in Damascus said the United States had learned of Syrian plans to supply Hezbollah with SCUD-D ballistic missiles, which would magnify its threat to Israel.

Clinton wrote: "I must stress that this activity is of deep concern to my government, and we strongly caution you (Syria) against such a serious escalation." To reinforce the point, the cable continues: "Your interest in avoiding war should require you to exert maximum restraint, including restraining Hezbollah and preventing the group's acquisition of such lethal, long-range weapons." Read more...

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Filed under: Clinton •Hezbollah •Syria •U.S.


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mohammed   December 7th, 2010 1:11 pm ET

why is the that americans supply israel billion of dollars of wmd every year.against all gulf states.is that against humanity or what. using thier weapons, inhaliating palestians,woman, man ,children and destroying, homes, mosques,instucture of all building .occuppying lands.the world calls resistance fighters terrorist .what do u call americans, and israel.

John A   December 8th, 2010 10:02 am ET

Mohammed, What you say is true, but your thoughts need to be placed in context.

Today no national power fights for justice, freedom and morality.

America now resembles 1930s Germany, within another decade who knows how extreme America will have become.

Will Russia and China bring you justice? Doesn't look like there's any chance of that.

Will Europe, Africa or the Middle East provide a beacon of hope for humanity. No they are weak and their leaders are equally unjust as they look to make alliances with America or Russia or China.

To be positive, people all over the world are awakening and note how their leaders constantly take them in directions that they don't want to go.

It seems you would like a strong nation to provide justice and morality. I'm sorry to tell you there are no such nations.

We have entered a new dark age. Religious values have declined, family values have declined, morality has declined, public health is in decline, fertility is in decline and education standards are in decline. And there is no new land or beacon of hope that you can emigrate to. Its a global decline. Morality has become a issue to snigger over and self interest has become all important.

Humanity has always had the power to avoid hell on earth. But while some are winning they care not for those who are losing. Eventually the winners become fewer and finally the world will become a hopeless brutal place.

We should care for those who have suffered before the suffering spreads uncontrollably. But America continues to push for unjust wars in Korea and Iran. Russia continues to look like a Mafia state. China still lacks basic freedom. Unless there is s social revolution to reverse the crimes of the ruling class, we are all going to get screwed. No matter if your Muslim, Christian or Jewish, the future looks dark.

miriam   December 8th, 2010 11:43 am ET

mohammed,

The US supplies military aid to Israel, not all of it weapons.

The US supplies aid, including weapons, to many other countries in the ME.

Israel uses weapons, many of which are domestically developed, in self-defence against terrorist entities who deliberately attack her civilians and who use their own families and civilians as human shields, their homes, mosques, schools and hospitals as weapon stores and who go on to lie and decieve the world as to casualty numbers and make-up.

When terrorism doesn't achieve the desired effect, they double their efforts with "lawfare", deliberately misusing and abusing legal terms and understandings such as "occupation", "resistance fighters", "illegal", "legal", "international law" etc etc simultaneously fooling many ignorant and disinformed in the international community.

I hope this has answered your question and explains why the continued supply of weapons to terrorist entities in the ME, intent on Israel's destruction is a problem for Israel, the host nation, the ME and humanity as a whole.

Ariely   December 8th, 2010 12:09 pm ET

It might be that both Syria and Hisbullah (Iran) are making wrong assumptions.
Indeed the defending Israel cares much for civilian's life's.

However if the Arabs game will be to attack Israel civilians- they will be surprised by Israel fears respond both against the tool- Lebanon and the head- Syria.

Syria strategy si to attack Israeli civilians by Husbullah and claim to immunity for Syria and Lebanon/

Syria Supply rockets to Hisbullah to be launched against Israel civilians.
Hisbullah builds the rocket lunching sites in Lebanese villages.
Hisbullah tactics is to hide and get civilians protection for their lunching sites and cripple Israel option for self defense.

An excellent example of this infrastructure has been disclosed a couple month ago by Israel.
A detailed map of the the village Al Ihiam pointed out the precise locations of Hisbulla rockets provided by Syria.
In close vicinity of schools, mosques, hospital and all other civilian infrastructure.

miki   December 8th, 2010 12:20 pm ET

mohamed you muslim jerkoff.
dont even try to compare the animals called hisbollah to the israelis.
thw usa gives israel weapons to defend itself from the thugs of hisbollah who are nothing but terrorrists seeking a power/land grab in lebanon, all with the assistance of iran. even saudi wants to eliminate the hezbollah. ! get real, read the facts, and stop listening to arab/muslim propoganda crap..

Syrian   December 8th, 2010 8:33 pm ET

The thing wich all of you should remember about Israel is that they occupied arab land in 1967 .
which means that they donet defend their self . they attack their neighbour .
the more I want to say that I don't beleive that aircraft can be used without killing children and women .

sankouh   December 8th, 2010 11:38 pm ET

miki, you and the israel are groups of brutal people who kills women and children in Gaza and Lebanon with american weapons.isarel occupied palestine for no reason!!!. i have not seen a group of people that kick a whole nation from its land and build a new nation??? i still can not understand this fact??. in addtion to stealing a whole land israel has been arrested 11000 palestinians including women and even children!!!!!???? I BET ANY AMERICAN CITEZEN IF HE ACCEPTS TO BE KICKED OUT FROM HIS HOUSE OR CITIES FOR STUPID REASONS SUCH AS ISRAEL MADE UP.
YES FOR ISRAEL TO BE WIPED OFF THE MAP.

proud zionist   December 9th, 2010 2:26 pm ET

sankouh

you arabs kills jewish womwn and children. i bet you are not any american citezen because if you are you wipe off the map

since there never was a pilisine, theer was no wey opf kickimg out anybady, right>?

khaled   December 9th, 2010 3:33 pm ET

israel have committed several war crimes and there is not one o judge them. they used uranium bullets which causes radiation, thats a war crime. while US sending weapons to israel since the war started between israel and Palestinians. when it comes to a muslim nation helping another muslim nation its a problem!

miriam   December 9th, 2010 3:49 pm ET

Syrian and sankouh,

In 1967, Syrian and Egyptian forces were amassed on Israel's borders with the intention of destroying the Jewish state. This followed cross-border terrorist attacks on Israelis, the firing of weapons from Syria into northern Israel and the closure of the Straits of Tiran and expulsion of UN forces in the Sinai by Egypt.

No country would sit and wait for an obvious invasion while her citizens were already under attack and certainly not Israel in 1967 nor 2010.

Despite the propaganda of your leaders, there is no "occupation". Jordan and Egypt were not recognized sovereign rulers of the territories they had occupied in 1948 and the land was definitely not "Palestine" since there has never been such a state.

When Israel was RE-established, legally and recognized as the historical, religious and cultural homeland of the Jews, there was another Arab state proposed on remaining Mandatory territory. The Jews accepted the proposal but the Arabs rejected it prefering the annihilation of the Jews and their state over the creation of yet another Arab state.

The Jews have been a nation for 4000 years with the Holy Land being at the centre of the religion. The Palestinians refered to in literature of the last 2000 years were usually Jewish inhabitants of the Holy Land, the Arabs prefering to be part of the pan-Arab nation rather than an independent people, that is, after they had partially emerged out of their tribal existence.

Perhaps your lack of understanding is derived from the myths you have been fed.
Jews have lived in the land for centuries despite exile and massacre and the terrirory had not been an independent state since the destruction of the Jewish state 2000 years ago.

Filipe   December 10th, 2010 7:34 pm ET

sankouh,

Your version of history began when??

The land you refr to as "Palestine" was namedJudea, Samaria and The Kingdom Of Israel long before Roman Emperor Hadran invented the name Palestine and renamed the land.

So-– thre's your reason that Israel exists where it does today!

Go take a refresher in world history!

ahmed   December 10th, 2010 8:10 pm ET

the only to achieve peace in the middle east is to state solution israel and palestine not arms beuld up

Tamam Elewi   December 12th, 2010 10:36 am ET

I have a relative in the army and he always showed off how he met husbulla officials and made the deals (on goverment leval) with them for the scuds supply and training. Its true. Its war, we syrians are technecaly at war with israili.

proud zionist   December 15th, 2010 4:26 pm ET

Syrian

The thing all of you should remember is that your country started attacking Israel in 1967 and you got what you deserved.

The thing all of you should remember that your country shot mortars and artillery shells into Israel prior to 1967 every day, every night, for years. KILLING, MAIMING INNOC ENT CIVILIANS, DESROYING HOUSES, ANIMALS, KINDERGARDENS, SCHOOLS

But that is OK for you, but self defense is forbidden, right?

W R O N G

Michel   December 31st, 2010 5:35 pm ET

You have the advantage of having two big and strong jewish communities in North America, USA and Canada; but most of you have probabely no idea of what is going on here in Europe mainly against the small communities.
Moslems are more and more full of hatred against Jews, linking the Palestinian problem with the inhabitants in the country where they are supposed to live together in harmony with the other religions.
Furthermore, we have the tradional european antisemitism helping them.
Tomorrow, Hungary takes over the presidency of Europe for six months. His prime minister Viktor Orban made is whole campain based mainly on antisemitism......poor Europe!

Ali Jabbar   January 5th, 2011 4:42 pm ET

i performed hajj in 2010 december at the age of 30 , now i wana perform jihaad too , can anyone send me the procedure how to apply in hasbullah or hammas ? thanks


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