Where are Iran and Nasrallah?

By Tariq Alhomayed

Palestinian refugee camp in Yarmouk

The Iranians, and Hezbollah of course, did everything to try to take advantage of the eight day war launched by Israel upon the Gaza Strip. They tried to invest in that battle in order to improve their image in the region, especially after the Syrian revolution and their support for Bashar al-Assad, but, only after a short period of time, fate has come to expose Tehran and Hezbollah once again.

The tyrant of Damascus’ forces are bombing the Palestinian refugee camp in Yarmouk with warplanes, as if the Palestinians can be used as firewood in every battle, whether guilty or not guilty. What is this other than trading on the Palestinian cause, and the blood of its people? Indeed, the most prominent traders on the cause and its people are Iran and Hezbollah, along with the al-Assad regime, which is bombing the Palestinians today with warplanes. Yet we do not see Hassan Nasrallah coming out publicly to warn al-Assad against targeting the Palestinians, nor do we see Iranian leaders coming out to say anything, so is spilling the blood of the Palestinians halal [religiously permissible] for al-Assad and only haram [religiously impermissible] for Israel? This is a sad and shameful matter, but fortunately God wants to expose those trading on Palestinian blood, from Iran to Hezbollah and the al-Assad regime along with them, as well as others in the region and some Palestinians themselves.

Therefore, the silence of Iran and Hezbollah, and specifically its leader Hassan Nasrallah, is clear evidence of them trading on the Palestinian cause, not even intervening at the very least to persuade al-Assad not to bomb refugee camps with war planes. Of course we cannot say that the Palestinians must not interfere in the Syrian revolution, or blame them for doing so, and this is for one simple reason. When the al-Assad regime resorts to using the Palestinians themselves in Syria, such as Ahmed Jibril and others, or pushes some of them towards the border with Israel or the Golan Heights in order to divert attention, or when Syria uses the Palestinians in Lebanon, or some factions in Gaza, then the al-Assad regime, Iran and Hezbollah are the ones forcibly drawing the Palestinians into the Syrian revolution. How can this be otherwise when Tehran, al-Assad and Hezbollah have not given the Palestinians any respite, especially over the past ten years, when they have used the Palestinian cause and Palestinian blood in a crude and unjust manner, especially with false, contrived slogans such as opposition and resistance? Hence it is only natural for the Palestinians to come out against al-Assad’s agents, and al-Assad himself.

The truth is that Arab observers do not need any more evidence of al-Assad’s crimes, and how he has exploited the Palestinian cause. However, some Arabs, who have been unaware intentionally or otherwise, now need to pay attention to how Iran and Hezbollah remain silent about the crimes committed by the al-Assad regime against the Palestinians. Despite the fact that what is happening to the Palestinians is very distressing, fate wants to expose the falsehood of the Iranian project in our region. Here we see the allies of Khomeini’s project falling from one trap into another, with their words and actions proving to be false. The simplest example of this is what is happening to the Palestinians in Yarmouk refugee camp at the hands of al-Assad’s forces and planes. Thus, we should ask Hassan Nasrallah today: Was it not said in the days of the recent Gaza war that Iran, Hezbollah and al-Assad would not abandon Gaza? So why is Yarmouk refugee camp being abandoned today as al-Assad’s planes bombard it with fire and brimstone? Is there an answer?

About the Author: Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, the youngest person to be appointed that position. Mr. Alhomayed has an acclaimed and distinguished career as a Journalist and has held many key positions in the field including; Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, Managing Editor of Asharq Al-Awsat in Saudi Arabia, Head of Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper's Bureau-Jeddah, Correspondent for Al - Madina Newspaper in Washington D.C. from 1998 to Aug 2000. Mr. Alhomyed has been a guest analyst and commentator on numerous news and current affair programs including: the BBC, German TV, Al Arabiya, Al- Hurra, LBC and the acclaimed Imad Live’s four-part series on terrorism and reformation in Saudi Arabia. He is also the first Journalist to conduct an interview with Osama Bin Ladin's Mother. Mr. Alhomayed holds a BA degree in Media studies from King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also completed his Introductory courses towards a Master’s degree from George Washington University in Washington D.C. He is based in London.

Iran is the elephant in the Middle East room

The elephant in the Middle East room is Iran. Stopping the Islamic Republic of Iran from reaching a nuclear capability is the most important issue facing the international community. If we fail to do so, the implication on many issues, from energy to stability in the region to terrorism and to nuclear proliferation, will be profoundly negative and dangerous.

On the other hand, if the U.S. and others succeed in preventing Iran from going nuclear, as President Obama has committed to, then a series of positive developments could flow. Included are a strengthened American image in the region, a tilt away from the Islamic extremists, and possibilities for progress on the Israeli-Palestinian front.

We see this in microcosm when we look at what has been in happening in Gaza.

It is impossible to understand what’s going on in Gaza and with Hamas without recognizing Iran’s role. It is hard to comprehend Israel’s reaction to Hamas without seeing the role of the looming threat to Iran. It is impossible to find a solution in Gaza without taking Iran into account. And it is critical that very soon the world must move its attention from Gaza to Iran itself as the clock toward an Iranian nuclear weapon keeps on ticking.

When Hamas began to take control in Gaza, many took comfort that at least it was a Sunni regime that unlike Hezbollah in Lebanon, would not draw too close to the Shiite Iranians.

It was false comfort. Iran has become the major supplier of weapons, increasingly sophisticated, flowing to Hamas. Iran provides full diplomatic support to Hamas. And Iran works to strengthen the Islamist Hamas against the Palestinian Authority and Mahmoud Abbas.

The first necessity for the international community is to openly identify and expose Iran’s role in building up Hamas. The Palestinian terrorist group has now been able to launch missiles that can reach Tel Aviv and cause great damage simply because of Iran. Iran ships its Fajr-5 and many Grad missiles through Sudan and, in the words of the head of the Republican Guard, Major General Mohammad Ali Ja’afari, “we have given them (Hamas and others in Gaza) the necessary technology for the Fajr-5 and today mass quantities of this missile are being produced.”

And make no mistake about it: Iran is determined to up the ante, to increase both the weaponry and training for Hamas that will allow it to become the same level of threat to Israel from the south as Hezbollah is from the north.

Any solution to the threat of Hamas to Israel must provide a way to interdict that flow of arms from Iran. The cease-fire agreement reached through the good offices of the U.S. and Egypt and follow-up negotiations will focus primarily on what role Egypt will play to stop that arms flow. Based on past experience, even with a Mubarak regime that was far friendlier to Israel than the current Morsi government, stopping weaponry will at best be a sporadic business.

And so, inevitably, when it comes to truly reversing the dynamic in Gaza (Israel may have regained some deterrence and some reasonably quiet time, but it didn’t change the fundamentals) it is what takes place with regard to the Iranian bomb that could play the pivotal role.

First, as if we need it, the latest conflict in Gaza reminds us of what a priority it is to stop Iran from going nuclear. A resurgent Iran, after obtaining nuclear weapons, would undoubtedly multiply its destructive options manifold. Keep in mind the comments of French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius about the Gaza conflict: “What’s new is that now there are long-range arms…and there are Iranian arms. Iranian responsibility is heavy in all of this.”

Second, preventing Iran from going nuclear, whether through diplomacy, sanctions or the military option, will embolden more moderate forces in the region to stand up to the extremists. Indeed, the balance of power within the Palestinian camp could shift toward the Palestinian Authority and away from Hamas.

All in all, it would make it less likely that Iran could see itself as the expansionist power arming its terror-prone allies and causing destruction everywhere.

So let’s keep things in perspective. Let’s encourage any agreement that in the short-term will stop the launching of rockets from Gaza into Israel.

If we truly want to change the dynamic in the long run, however, dealing with the main address -- Tehran -- is the way to go. That’s what “keeping your eyes on the prize” means in today’s Middle East.

Abraham H. Foxman is National Director of the Anti-Defamation League.

Iranian built and assembled in Lebanon

By Tariq Alhomayed (Asharq Alawsat)

The above title is a quote from the leader of Hezbollah, whose party claimed responsibility for launching a drone into Israeli airspace, with Nasrallah describing the unmanned aircraft as: "Iranian built and assembled in Lebanon". The fact is that this is a most accurate description not of the drone, but of Hezbollah itself, for what is this party other than "Iranian built and assembled in Lebanon"?

In Nasrallah’s speech - at a time when the Syrians are being subjected to the most heinous crimes, not at the hands of Israel, but rather at the hands of Nasrallah’s ally Bashar al-Assad - he warned elements of the Syrian opposition not to try to intimidate his party, for threats make no difference to Hezbollah as it has 30 years of experience! This is the crux of the matter; Hezbollah is 30 years old while Lebanon, Syria and the region as a whole are much older than that. More importantly, the party built in Iran and assembled in Lebanon now wants to commit a new crime against Lebanon and the region. When I say a new crime, this is not because Hezbollah has breached Israeli airspace; the story is bigger than that. Nasrallah is trying to drag Lebanon and the region into another unjustified war with Israel, without the knowledge of the Lebanese state, just as it did in 2006. Nasrallah himself admitted at the time that if he had known that the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers would have led to the war then he wouldn’t have done it, which confirms it was a miscalculated adventure. Yet here Hezbollah is again daring to repeat the adventure for a second time, even though Nasrallah, at the time of the 2006 war, begged for all those who “loved” Lebanon to intervene to put a stop to the conflict!

So why is Nasrallah doing all this now, at a time when everyone is trying to stop the al-Assad killing machine? The simple answer is that Nasrallah wants to reshuffle the cards in order to ease the pressure on al-Assad (whose forces have so far killed nearly 35,000 Syrians), and to serve the Iranian nuclear project. Hezbollah is doing all this at the expense of Syrian blood, and at the expense of the Lebanese state, which may soon find itself in an unequal and hopeless war. However, it is interesting to note here that with regards to some of those who have spoken of their fear of the Syrian situation spreading to Lebanon, we have not heard any criticism of Hezbollah launching a drone towards Israel, even though this may drag Lebanon into a war purely aimed at serving Iranian interests. Is there anything more hypocritical than this?

In conclusion, Nasrallah’s latest words are only further evidence of the danger of his party, built in Iran and assembled in Lebanon, and likewise they are a continuation of a series of major errors committed by Hezbollah since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution. These errors reveal the party’s true intentions and objectives, whereby Nasrallah wants to drag Lebanon and the wider region into a new war, only to serve Iran and protect al-Assad!

So if some truly believe, in a delusional manner or otherwise, that Hassan Nasrallah is a friend, they should recall the famous saying: With friends like these, who needs enemies?