How far will the Syrian war spread? Sign showing the distance between Jerusalem and Lebanese capital city. Illustrative. By Joshua Spurlock
While most eyes were on Egypt this week, Syria’s civil war and it’s ripple effect tore back into the headlines on Tuesday, as a car bomb killed one and wounded dozens in Lebanon. According to The Daily Star, the bombing occurred in an area known as a stronghold for Hezbollah, the Lebanese terror group that has been helping the Syrian regime fight the rebels there. And it impacts you wherever you are.
Speculation in the report pinned the blame for the bombing on opponents of the Syrian regime, effectively an act of revenge for Hezbollah’s attacks on rebels in Syria. Members of the Syrian opposition had warned Hezbollah over its interference in Syria. In May, rocket attacks on a Hezbollah area in Lebanon were also believed to be retaliation from Syrian rebels.
The violence should concern you because regional conflict can put unease into oil markets, leading to increased prices. In addition, the Syrian civil war has already impacted multiple countries around it, and threatens to turn into a regional war. Lebanon is the worst hit so far, but Israel, Turkey and Iraq have all been impacted by the Syrian conflict. Wars involving American allies cost you money and could drag the US and Europe into the fighting.
The Lebanon bombing also raises questions about the Syrian rebel forces, if they were indeed behind it. The Syrian opposition is a hodgepodge of different groups and beliefs, ranging from those backed by the West to affiliates of Al-Qaeda.
That’s one reason some in the West have feared giving weapons to the Syrian rebels, lest they end up in the wrong hands. On the other hand, the longer the fight continues without Western assistance for the good rebels, the more powerful Syrian terror groups may become, eventually turning Syria into a new base for terrorists like Afghanistan. We certainly don’t need another of those.
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, July 9, 2013)