Monday, July 18, 2011

Nicholas Blanford on Hizbullah

This is a funny piece by Nicholas Blanford adn others that was first published in the Times of London.  Blanford, as you all know, published a hagriographic book on Rafiq Hariri in which he recounts the Hariri family view of the murder and the responsibility of the Syrian regime.  It is expected--given the changing view of the Hariri family--that Blanford will published a postscript in which he accuses Hizbullah, and whoever else the Hariri family wants to add.  Blanford's book was distributed for free by Hariri press office, and they commissioned translations.   Blanford impresses me: he really does.  He often gives a specific figure for the number of missiles Hizbullah has in Lebanon: and his figures always matches the figure that Israeli sources in the Western media give.  And when Israel changes its estimate, Blanford adjusts accordingly.  Look at this piece: first, I like this documentation:  "According to intelligence sources in the West and the Middle East..."  The Middle East? I wonder who in the Middle East.  That is not it.  In the article itself Blanford and his friends cites a "Hizbullah fighter" bragging about the weapons in the possession of Hizbullah.  First, how does Blanford know he is a Hizbullah fighter when those fighter are secret and don't parade around.  Secondly, if he is a real fighter of Hizbullah, he would not be quoted in the Western press bragging about Hizbullah weapons.  Enough said.  You get the gist.