Some members of the Biden administration are concerned that Israel is looking to provoke Hezbollah as a pretext for a wider war in Lebanon that could draw in the US, Axios reported on Sunday.
Since the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel, Hezbollah and Israel have been fighting across the Lebanon-Israel border, including a November 5 Israeli airstrike that killed a woman and three children. The skirmishes have killed over 60 Hezbollah fighters, several Lebanese civilians, and about 10 Israeli soldiers and civilians.
The Axios report said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin “expressed concern” about the fighting on the border in a Saturday call with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant. The White House requested Austin relay the message due to “growing anxiety” that Israel’s military action is exacerbating tensions on the border.
The Pentagon’s readout of the call said Austin “emphasized the need to contain the conflict to Gaza and avoid regional escalation,” but it did not specifically mention Lebanon. Sources told Axios Austin asked for clarification about Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and asked what steps would be taken to avoid a regional war.
While expressing concern about escalation, the US has emboldened Israel to be aggressive by deploying an enormous amount of firepower to the region in the name of protecting Israel. The US also intervened directly to intercept missiles and drones in the Red Sea that were fired toward Israel by the Houthis in Yemen.
The US has issued warnings to Hezbollah, the implied threat being that the US could intervene directly against them if the situation escalates into a full-blown war. According to Axios, President Biden’s energy envoy, Amos Hochstein, delivered a “strong warning” to Hezbollah through the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament when he visited the country last week.
WOW! LOL!!! Satanyahu’s visual aids should have been a much earlier indication. That’s unless people are blind, deaf, and most importantly dumb–emphasis added.
The path to a World War 3 has already been crossed. The forces of evil,the US and Israel have long wanted this confrontation. Those two carrier groups are not needed to protect Israel. It is more likely that is is intended to wipe out Iran. The US has had a bug up its ass since 1959 when the clerics took over. The same could be said for Cuba.
1959 ? The Shah ruled Iran then. The Ayatollah didn’t rise until 1979
I think that Wendell is correct on motive though.
Thank you,I appreciate your thoughts and comments.Forgive me for screwing up the years.
Sorry I got my dates confused. That is what happens when you get old.
Like the rulers in Ukraine,Russia,China, and Sudan are not evil.
Yes, but they are the amateur hour compared to the reptilians running the show in Tel Aviv and Washington, DC.
Oh,genocide in Sudan while China bought their oil and supported them at the UN.It is estimated 100,000 to 400000 killed in Sudan hundreds of thousands killed in Syria by Assad,genocide in Tibet-human fetuses forcibly plucked out by Chinese invaders, and now Taiwan surrounded.
Even Isral can be proud of you. The gift of the gab. Getting not judt tiresome — but dangerous. People like you will have us all killed.
Wait so China is guilty of the Darfur genocide because they invested in the petroleum industry of Sudan? Does that mean that America and its European allies who are invested in resource extraction in Democratic Republic of the Congo are guilty of the deaths that have happened there? Like I said China is an amateur. Hundreds of thousands killed in a proxy war in Syria funded and supplied by the USA. We still have bases there illegally and are currently bombing the country in “self defense.” Now I am not saying this to claim that China and Russia are a bunch of humanitarians, because they aren’t, but their brutality pales in comparison to the American Empire’s. Pull your head out of your ass.
Those are 10 and under league. Comparig them with pros?
This news is preparatory propaganda.
“Now you stop that!” Right … meanwhile here are all the weapons you might need and our assurance of your right to use them as you please.
“Plus two carrier groups and a thousand Marines in case things REALLY go south for you”
What if those carriers are sent to the bottom of the ocean, along with 10,000 crew…………..
Over the last 18 months the US has certainly given Russia the motivation to supply antiship missiles to Hezbollah, should the need arise
Hezbollah was created for a reason-to make war-and now it is going to attack.
No Zionism = No bloodshed = Peace
Such nonsense! Israel does not want a war with Hezbollah now while they are dealing with Gaza. They respond in each case to Hezbollah fire. It is inevitable though. No country would tolerate Hezbollah’s constant threats to its northern towns…especially not after October 7.
Yes they do, why do you think those aircraft carriers and ships are babysitting Israel since this mess started? They have no attention of fighting this themselves, they wish for the wider conflict so America can send boots on the ground ala Iraq.
Hard to tell whether the intention is to provoke a wider war, or to make it clear that one won’t be tolerated.
The killing in Gaza and destruction of all infrastructure, apartments is so over the top it appears to be aimed at takeover, rather than self defense or security. The aim of pushing two million or so Palestinians into neighboring countries will further destabilize the region. If a wider war neuters Hezbollah and other groups, all the better for the incoming new settlers and the natural gas industry.
I don’t disagree with any of that. I just don’t assume one motive when there are two possible motives that the same facts would explain.
Possibilities aren’t always equal probability-wise. There’s this bias called History, I believe.
Yes, and history says that vis a vis Iran, the US drums up incidents and conflicts of sub-general war size.
We sure performed an act of war by pirating Iranian ships. I would think.
Which should belong to the Palestinians. I am sure our guys in Washington (and boards of fossil fuel companies) are clapping their hands with glee over the prospect of Palestinians dying in the Sinai desert, living in tents (temporary, of course).
“The spice must flow.”
Right. It’s just coincidental that Graham screeches like a howler monkey to attack Iran.
He and others have screeched like howler monkeys to attack Iran for more than 40 years now. And the US has moved military assets in and out of the region for longer than that.
It may be that the US regime is finally ready to go big on attacking Iran. Or it may be that the US regime is backing Israel by very flagrantly moving assets into the region as a warning to parties other than Hamas not to intervene.
It is provocative.
Absolutely. Every action taken by an adversarial force is provocative.
The US, however, is known for intentional provocations.
BTW, I know it’s not a favorite of yours, but the popular resistance site is now down. Another one critical of US policy. I have to wonder.
Yes, the US is quite the provocateur. It doesn’t really make subsequent claims of “self-defense” plausible, but it at least throws some chaff out to distract a bit.
I’m not sure what “the popular resistance site” is, so I guess you’re correct that it’s not a favorite of mine.
Just another in a list of sites the propagandists would be happy to dispense with.
It is very difficult to break that cycle. It can be done. It requires good leadership and skilled diplomacy. See the Treaty of Westphalia or the Congress of Vienna for examples of when it was very difficult but done anyway.
Don’t get me started on Westphalia.
We will attack Iran. We will lose 2 carriers to the bottom of the ocean.
If you and your friends have carriers and think that you will lose them by attacking Iran, why attack Iran?
Lot of $$$$ replacing lost carriers. Same principle as leaving all that weaponry in Afghanistan.
Lot of radioactivity problems in even damaged carriers.
There are some things that carriers can do well. Hovering at slow speed just offshore for prolonged strikes is rarely one of those things. The USN did not do that with its fast carriers in WW2, and when it did it with the escort carriers flying air support such as at Leyte, they lost a lot of them. 10% of the 50 Casablanca class carriers were lost that way, in just a year or so, when many of the rest were not even exposed as operating carriers (used as plane ferries or training decks at home, or ASW in the Atlantic).
Yep, best to keep the odds in favor of slaughtering the residents of Gaza for the sin of being born there. Sounds right.
Lady Lindsey has been a raving war lunatic as long as I can remember. After all, South Carolina is heavily infiltrated by the Military Offense Industry.
Israel is in an impossible position. They must choose between significant casualties and damage from Hezbollah missiles in the near future or the intolerable constant threats of incursion into the north. They will choose the former. Having lived through October 7, the vast majority of Israelis are now convinced that Hezbollah needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later. Hard to predict what will happen. Iran had been “saving” Hezbollah for the day that Israel attacked the homeland. But now all bets are off
Hezbollah (and or the Iranian regime) doesn’t seem to be rising to the bait.
Unsurprising, for more than one reason.
One reason is that the US saber-rattling there portends severe consequences for doing so.
Another is that both Hezbollah and the Iranian regime want Israel there, in perpetuity. Its existence fuels their influence in Lebanon and Syria. If Israel disappeared tomorrow, both of them would be weaker.
If Israel disappeared tomorrow there would be no need for strength or influence.
Yeah, because that region was so completely kum ba ya before 1948.
Since Zionism took hold in the 1890’s. Since 1948 it has been H*ll for Palestinians. Since 2006 it has been a concentration camp for Palestinians. Now, the Zionists are openly saying they plan; 1) genocide, 2) ethnic cleansing. With America’s blessing.
This.
Try “since 3,000 BC or so.”
Zionism was a very modest proposal before WWI-then many nations wanted to be free-especially the Balkans and MidEast.
It was relatively harmonious until the Zios showed up.
Yes,there was no Dhimitude,no pogroms in the Islamic world. HA
In your imagination, perhaps. In reality, it’s been a malestrom of war throughout recorded history.
What area of the world hasn’t been a malestrom of war throughout history?
Antarctica, perhaps?
WW2 brought war and death to Spitzbergen Island’s weather station base in the Arctic. Next war we may get some of the bases in Antarctica too.
Iran and Hezbollah know that Israel and the US are trying to create a pretext for a wider war despite what the Biden says. Israel is counting on the unlimited US support for any action it takes and no consequences for whatever it does.
Iran is waiting until it has its nukes ready to go-then a test changes everything. They use a slow was of attrition under the N umbrella.
pull your head out jake.
Iran has stated for the record many times that they do not want anything to do with nuclear weapons. but you’re correct; they are under the N umbrella – because they have signed the NNPT (nuclear non-proliferation treaty) even though they do not have any nukes. Israel on the other hand has not signed the NNPT, even though they do have nukes, which is why they have been caught red-handed trying to sell nukes to south africa.
People very often say one thing and do another.
If Israel disappeared tomorrow, the Iranians and Hezbollah could relax a bit and enjoy life a little more, spend more time with the family and friends.
But he’s talking about Israel. It seems you’re talking about the US. Couldn’t they have different motives?
Of course.
Our presence is in fact an act of war, either current or incipient. Only people with no knowledge of the history of the past 70+ years would mistake our presence as some kind of deterrent to violence. We market violence all over the planet. It’s how we roll. We even failed to slack off on the habit with the ending of the cold war.
Sounds like you ought to get out of there and stop acting so badly!
Why did the UK attack the Dardanelles during WWI? A very bad move-underestimating ones foes.
The US fleets are to keep Israel from nuking its enemies.
There are better ways to stop Israel from nuking places.
They already have a war with Hezbollah. The media is not reporting it.
I’ll bet, looks like they let Susan Collins write this press release. They are having the Israeli Defense Minister goading Nasrallah almost every day, they want to flatten Lebanon with their carrier cruise missiles.
Hezbollah exists only to fight a war against Israel.
And rightly so. That is its best reason for being.
Otherwise, Israel would have annexed Southern Lebanon at least to the Litani (which it did for more than a decade), and perhaps all the way to Beruit (which is briefly tried to do).
We have a few military bases in Israel. It is called our “aircraft carrier” on land. You can bet when things to quiet down a bit, a subtle trip wire will be set off and the bombing will continue, with an addition……………..bombing of Iran. Perhaps with a tactical nuke if things go badly. We complain about Iran supporting others, rather than look at ourselves in the mirror. We have supported some horrific leaders. All in the name of “freedom”, “democracy”, “the American way”. So f*cked up……………
US Concerned Israel Is Trying to Provoke Wider Lebanon War
we are concerned! (but not so concerned that we won’t assist and even fund such an action)
The MIC says, “let them go a while longer, we are heading toward the end of the year tally”.
Of course this is what Israel wants… and not limited to Lebanon but include Iran as well. To ensure the proper outcome
Israel needs/needed to have US military assets and personnel in the area and, more importantly, in the line of fire.
What ever the book that the non-religions Zionists believe is theirs is where they want to war. Of course, to get their way, they may wave a nuke or two in the faces of the leaders of the countries that may have a quarrel.
Israel and us have existed in peace with Iran ruled by a hapless dictator who was interested in getting nukes, so why can’t we deal with an Iran ruled religiously? Anyone who knows what a fatwa is knows that Iran ruled by the ayatollah’s will not produce nuclear weapons even for defense.
You are 100% right and correct.
Remember the Lavon affair.
Based on trade-partner relationship, this broad region divides roughly as follows:
US dominant in Israel, Syria and Iraq.
China dominant in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Not dominated by either: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India.
An attack on Iran by us or Israel or both would therefore be the equivalent of a Chinese attack on Canada. Or Brazil.
Did the US forget that they are at their best when they want a false flag operation? Why publish this story, pretending this is not what they want? … Unless, this is what they want us to think? …It’s so confusing since Putin hacked my brain, when he hacked Hillary’s laptop. Or was that Hunter Biden’s? …I know. I told you I’m confused. I can’t keep all those stupid @$$ stories straight.
The why in the f*ck doesn’t Austin or, cough, cough, our President put a stop to it???
Because Israel is the 51st state of the shaky Union…!
US Thinks???. We don’t think. We fart wars.
They have worked out about as well as a fart that ought not to have been trusted.
Of course they are; this is Netanyahu’s Big Chance; to settle Gaza, accelerate the colonization of the west bank, and get rid of Hezbollah, all with US help and acceptance, all the while crying “poor us!” “Self defense”! “Holocaust”!
And we are stupid enough to fall for it; “poor little Israel, all alone and friendless, having to fight those big bad arab women and children all by its lonesome”
Except that the US will lose. Again.
But Not the military industrial complex
Well lets face it America has never won .
Precisely the push for a greater Israel is within their grasp .
All alone, and……………………with at least 48 nuclear weapons.
Duh and Double Duh!
Hezbollah has been festering for decades.
Israel has been festering for decades. Wallowing in Netanyahu and his ilk of criminals.
Nets’ father was an acolyte of Vladimir Jabotinsky. So naturally he passed his words of wisdom to his son. Nets was molded, crafted to be what he is today. Kahane was another one.
Yep, egged on by the Likudites in Israel and the Qataris in Arabia.
Yep, egged on by the Likudites in Israel and the Qataris in Arabia.
If the US is drawn into that wider war, it is likely to lose yet again. Israel will be left with the result Ukraine got, and Iraq and Afghanistan and Libya and Syria before that.
While Israel deserves that, and we’d be better off if it were so destroyed, I don’t want my country led into yet another disaster. We’ve had enough of this for the last 20+ years in war after war, all lost, all for nothing.
… and of course wasted taxpayer money…!
Correction, nut and yahoo wants to escalate this war. If Gaza story goes away, his career is over.
Duh! I am on record for many years saying that was the plan ever since the failed 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah war.
Israel could not defeat Hezbollah when it had a mere couple of brigades of fighters – now it has 100,000 trained and equipped and experienced (in Syria) fighters and five times the rocket and missile arsenal it had then.
Pull out of the area and stop sending Israel money and guns, and they’ll toe the line real quick. It really is THAT simple. The question is whether or not we have anyone in Washington who is going to step up and make that call. So far, I think not.
This shows the Israeli PR not working, US image is distorted and US doesn’t think they can win a war if Hezbollah and Iran were to get directly involved let alone Israel by itself…!