NYT: Some Arab leaders, fearing Iran's influence, blame Hezbollah

[DeepModem Mom]

Blame by Some Arab Leaders for Fighters
By HASSAN M. FATTAH
Published: July 17, 2006

BEIRUT, Lebanon, July 16 — With the battle between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah raging, key Arab governments have taken the rare step of blaming Hezbollah, underscoring in part their growing fear of influence by the group’s main sponsor, Iran.

Saudi Arabia, with Jordan, Egypt and several Persian Gulf states, chastised Hezbollah for “unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible acts” at an emergency Arab League summit meeting in Cairo on Saturday.

The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, said of Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel, “These acts will pull the whole region back to years ago, and we cannot simply accept them.” Prince Faisal spoke at the closed-door meeting but his words were reported to journalists by other delegates....

***

It is nearly unheard of for Arab officials to chastise an Arab group engaged in conflict with Israel, especially as images of destruction by Israeli warplanes are beamed into Arab living rooms. Normally under such circumstances, Arabs are not blamed, and condemnations of Israel are routine.

But the willingness of those governments to defy public opinion in their own countries underscores a shift that is prompted by the growing influence of Iran and Shiite Muslims in Iraq and across the region....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/17/world/middleeast/17arab.html

[Skink]

1. When do we attack Iran?

[Erika]

2. We ain't got the money nor the troops

W squandered our power.

[Igel]

3. I knew there'd be a cynical reason behind it.

I just wasn't looking at the situation from their perspective.

Killing Israelis is never a bad thing. But Shi'ite or Iranian influence ... now *there's* a cause for worry.