The United States Marines have once again landed on the shores of Lebanon, be it, a little south of Tripoli, with the expressed purpose of “rescuing” US citizens from the carnage of our “ally’s” air strikes.
As the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and her battle group joined British warships off the coast of Lebanon, this morning (Russian President Vladimir Putin is also threatening to send warships), I have to wonder just how long this belated rescue operation can go on before the rescuers will be drawn into becoming combatants, especially now, with the announcement that Marine helicopters may fly deep into Hezbollah territory to evacuate stranded Americans, subjecting themselves to hostile fire and the almost certain loss of American lives, both civilian and military.
Quite frankly, I have little sympathy for either side in this conflict. A Lebanese (Christian) acquaintance told me years ago of his grandparents’ wonderful life at their family home in the Bekaa Valley, back before Hezbullah moved in, bringing the war with them. On the other hand, he can’t help but sympathize with the Palestinians, who were forced from their homeland, so the Israelis might regain theirs.
As a post World War II “Baby Boomer”, raised on the television and movies of the day, whether it was “out west”…or “over there”, it seemed WE were always having to send in “the cavalry” to chase down the “bad guys”…and shoot them.
If this war must go on, then let the Israelis and the Islamists fight it. At this point, I can only echo the words of Michael Corleone in Godfather III, when presented with his nephew’s desire to “whack” Joey Saza.
“So, kill him! What has all of this got to do with me?”
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Down The Middle Archives:
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