What is your best prediction for what will happen next in Middle East?

I predict that Israel will try to create a 5-10 mile buffer in southern Lebanon in the next 4-6 weeks. Once they have the "buffer" they need, they will ask the USA to work for a ceasefire. Why continue fighting if you have what you need? Then the propaganda campaign against Syria will become louder and louder. We may even hear again that they have Saddam's WMD's that were missing in Iraq. Condi Rice and perhaps Cheney himself, may go to Syria to have a "discussion" with Assad, Jr. They will request that he agree with the US demands or else, suffer the consequences. Syria's military is probably even weaker than Saddam's when the US first invaded. The US or Israel will strike at least one Syrian target just to show that we are serious. Without Syria, there cannot be a pipeline to Haifa anytime soon. With Syria's cooperation, they could re-open the pipeline that has been closed since 1948. I predict Syria will agree to work with the US rather than be invaded.

:mad: + :mad: = :cry: :nuke: :cry:

PB

Fuck everybody.

:cry:

and foreign aid. Like Egypt and Jordan, they will no longer be a serious threat to Israel.

This does not mean I agree that the ends justify the means only that the above is the most probable outcome for the future.

up our sleeves in regards to them. I figure before this is all over, Iran will be bombed by either us or Israel targeting their nuclear facilities.

with the plan to get rid of Hezbollah. It was all propaganda to keep them afraid and on the defensive while the other plan was put into operation. I don't think there is any other plan for Iran - just Syria. Just my opinion.

...their margin of safety. I agree on the Syrian target and I believe there will be an attack on Iran although I am not at all sure if the attack will be initiated by Israel or by the U.S. Either way, the U.S. is in for an expanded war in the middle east stretching from the Gaza Peninsula, into Lebanon, up into Syria, into northern Iraq and into southeast Iran. How exactly the U.S. plans to maintain such a broad war theater without significant deployments of combat ready troops is a complete mystery to me, but I do believe that BushCo and the neocons fully believe they can. It may come as "Shock and Awe 2" which means using nuclear weapons and I believe Bush is insane enough to order their use.

...

I agree with your first two predictions by I think it will go along a different path from there:

1. Israel will create a buffer zone.
2. They will ask the US to work for a ceasefire.
3. A ceasefire will be agreed to by both sides.
4. Hezbollah will turn Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev over to Lebanese government officials
5. The Lebanese will negotiate a prisoner exchange with Israel.
6. An international force will replace Israeli troops in the buffer zone.
7. Israel will completely withdraw from all of Lebanon included Shaba farms.
8. Hezbollah will disarm and disband as a militia.
9. The Lebanese army will replace the international force stationed in the buffer zone.
10. President Feingold/Clark/Clinton or whichever Democrat is the next president works actively with Israel, the Palestinians, and other Middle East nations to try to broker a comprehensive agreement which will lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state living side by side at peace with Israel.

Just a thought.

With Lebanon and Israel at peace with one another the two states will be able to come up with an arrangement regarding water that is mutually acceptable.

I wish I were half so optimistic about the outcome here....