Middle East at a crossroads? Photo: Signpost showing distance to Damascus. Illustrative. By Joshua Spurlock
Is the Middle East on the verge of another war? Rocket attacks in Lebanon and against Israel have intensified fears that the Syrian civil war is spreading to other countries. That’s very bad for you… even if you live in America or Europe.
The Al-Arabiya website is reporting that Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut got hit by two rockets on Sunday. While the Free Syrian Army rebels denied involvement, it is thought the attacks were launched over the involvement of the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group in Syria. In other words, it was payback and a threat to tell the Lebanese organization to back off.
Hezbollah is fighting for the Syrian regime against the rebels, but also is the most powerful group in the Lebanese government. Think of it as the mafia running the town. So an attack on the town is also seen as an attack on the mafia, in this case Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, Al-Arabiya is also saying the Israeli army is looking into rocket or mortar fire that landed in Israel and is believed to have been fired from Lebanon. Lebanon has fought multiple wars against Israel, most recently in 2006.
It could be an effort to distract from the Syrian situation and turn Israel into a scapegoat. If Lebanese terrorists are getting anxious about their own people turning on them, nothing brings differing sides together like creating a common enemy. Even if that enemy doesn’t want a fight.
As for you? War in the Middle East could mean higher gas prices, more opportunities for terrorists to acquire dangerous weapons and greater chance the US or Europe will get involved in the Syrian war. So here’s hoping peace returns soon.
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, May 27, 2013)