I watched the CNN Presidential debate. I came away with the feeling that it isn’t surprising that Islamic terrorist leaders are not afraid of him. The US administration might have similar problems under Trump, because the career people in the State Dept. seems to unable to understand the Middle East. Sending an envoi to the Lebanese government in order to try to convince Hezbollah of anything is the embodiment of a fool’s errand. The US seems determined not to confront Tehran and still listens to Hamas fake News as if it was gospel truth. No wonder American negotiators can’t make deals about those hostages.
The list of countries telling their citizens to get out of Lebanon keeps growing. The US has put the Sixth Fleet Amphibious Group on alert to prepare to evacuate American citizens from Beirut. The US military probably already has plans for retaliation if American bases in the region are attacked. They ought to have plans for preemptive action, but the Biden I saw last night doesn’t appear likely to approve any such plans.
The IDF, By way of contrast, is actually running drills and exercises simulating a larger war, and they include preparing food reserves and defensive/offensive activities all over the West Bank. I’ve been living here too long to get nervous over seeing armed soldiers protecting local shopping centers. We’ve had guards at our village entrance gate since October. But I can imagine that a visiting American would find that very unusual. Perhaps even to the point of being upsetting. And yet, surveys still find that Israelis are much happier with their lives than almost anyone else in the world. I’m one of them!
Wetherhorn 