Prelude to Another Round of Conflict?

Leading up to Lebanese elections on June 7, Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah called Friday for unity in the country, and asserted that the terrorist group "cannot be disarmed by force."

Speaking at the the 'Resistance and Liberation Festival,' marking nine years since Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Nasrallah said that were Hizbullah to win the upcoming election, it would "strengthen and arm the [Lebanese] army, and empower it with defense of Lebanon."
Iran, he added, would "gladly supply it."

In a speech which was broadcast on local television stations and attracted crowds in the hundred thousands over Beirut, he called for "a national unity government, with cooperation based on lessons from the past."

Nasrallah went on to claim that former foreign minister Silvan Shalom had "said that [Israel] would turn the international community against Hizbullah… and place us on their list of terror organizations."

Though Israel remains a on "dangerous challenge" facing the group, he said, "the option of another conflict is still far off… though it does exist."

On the one hand, Iran continues to posture itself as a peaceful seeker of nuclear weapons. On the other, Iran probes and poke, attempting to sucker Israel into attacking the nuclear facilities at Isfahan and Bushehr. Look for Hezbollah to begin a stepped up rocket campaign from southern Lebanon soon. Then we'll see what kind of hutzpah Benjamin Netanyahu really has.

Jimmy