The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, was nearly assassinated by poison, Israel’s leading news sources were reporting Wednesday, citing a report on an Iraqi Web site.

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While the culprit is still unknown, it’s entirely possible Israel did this, as they’ve taken out other terrorist leaders in a similar fashion in the past.  If that’s true, then it only reinforces an obvious message:  don’t mess with Israel, because once they decide to act, they don’t screw around.

Honestly, though, it could be any number of organizations.  The average terrorist leader has a lot of enemies, and I suspect the average lifespan is pretty short.

Eight months after he was assassinated in a meticulously-planned car bombing in Damascus, Hizbullah arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyeh has been succeeded by a senior Iranian intelligence official, an Italian newspaper reported Thursday, indicating an Iranian determination to consolidate its control over the Lebanese group.

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I guess it’s so well-known that Hizb’Allah is an Iranian proxy that nobody is pretending otherwise anymore.

My question: If Iran controls Hizb’Allah, and Hizb’Allah is either at war or threatening war with Israel, doesn’t this give Israel the right to make a strike on Iran proper?

In the next war between Israel and Hizballah, the Israeli military will unleash unprecedented destructive power against the terrorists’ host nation of Lebanon, warned a top Israeli general.

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As military strategies go, this makes sense.  However, I cannot help thinking this will be enough to draw Russia and/or Iran into the conflict.  With the U.S. dealing with economic issues, Israel may well find itself standing alone.

Obama: Terror groups have ‘legitimate claims’
By Aaron Klein

The Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations have “legitimate claims” that are being “weakened” by the violence the terror groups carry out, Sen. Barack Obama stated in an interview today with the New York Times.

Article Continues… (WorldNetDaily)

Both organizations want the demise of Israel. That’s a legitimate claim?

U.N. Confirms: Hizbullah Importing Weapons From Syria
By Nissan Ratzlav-Katz

A United Nations task force assigned to report on weapons smuggling in Lebanon said Monday that Hizbullah has been bringing arms across the Syrian-Lebanese border. This confirms Israeli allegations that the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group has been steadily rearming with Syrian assistance and Lebanese collusion.

Article Continues… (Arutz Sheva)

It was only a matter of time until all those Iranian proxies surrounding Israel started working together. Here’s hoping that whoever the next Prime Minister is handles this better than Olmert.

MEMRI TV has a couple of clips on recently-released terrorist, child-killer and flat-out evil dude Samir Kuntar that are worth checking out:

Released Lebanese Terrorist Samir Al-Quntar Vows to Fight under Hizbullah: Allah Willing, I Will Kill More Israelis

Al-Jazeera TV Throws a Birthday Party for Released Lebanese Terrorist Samir Al-Quntar

Israel on high alert for Hizballah attacks
By Israel Today Staff

Israeli military officials are concerned that Lebanon’s Hizballah terrorist militia will renew hostilities against the Jewish state following a prisoner swap scheduled for Wednesday.

Article Continues… (Israel Today)

If fear of an attack from Hizballah puts Israel on high alert, shouldn’t they always be on high alert?

Hezbollah to Israel: Missing airman believed dead
By Laurie Copans

Lebanon’s Hezbollah has told Israel it does not know what happened to an airman missing for more than two decades but it believes he is dead, Israeli officials said Saturday. The report could clear the way for a prisoner swap between the two foes.

Article Continues… (AP via Google)

There have been a few stories about the whereabouts of Ron Arad that have surfaced over the years, obviously the ones that say he’s still alive are the most popular (the most interesting one I found had him as a prisoner in Iran who couldn’t walk; he underwent forced surgery to disable his legs following escape attempts). However, even though I’m on the bandwagon that wants a happy ending, the truth is that none of the terrorist organizations in that part of the world are going to keep a prisoner for that long. If anything, they’d kill him and try to keep the illusion alive in orer to get Israel to release a couple hundred prisoners.

As sad a reality as it is, Ron Arad has probably been dead for a long time.

Hizballah planning next attack on Israel
By Israel Today Staff Writer

While Israel prepares to conduct a lopsided trade with Hizballah, exchanging a celebrity terrorist killer for the bodies of two soldiers believed to already be dead, the Lebanese terror group is readying its next attack against the Jewish state.

Article Continues… (Israel Today)

This is retaliation for the assassination of Imad Mughniyah. While I don’t think Israel killed him, they’d be totally justified if they did. Either way, another war with Hizb’Allah is coming, and I suspect it’ll be much bigger than the last.

Iran blames Israel, US for Lebanon crisis
By Dudi Cohen

Spokesman for Iranian Foreign Ministry says ‘US, Zionist regime fuelling tensions in Lebanon’

Article Continues… (Yediot Ahronot)

The problems in Lebanon are the result of Iranian proxy Hizb’Allah trying to take over the government. The only thing the U.S. and Israel can be faulted for is not getting out of the way and allowing said takeover.