Iran So Far Away

Make your enemies believe there's love there
Cause in war, belief is all fair
Rock them to sleep, shots in your jeep
And you ain't never know the plot was from me
It's from my Masterminds
--Nas

Iran's fingerprints are all over this:

At least three rockets have been fired into northern Israel from Lebanon raising fears that the current Israeli offensive in Gaza may spill over.

Israel's army responded with artillery. No-one has said they fired the rockets.

The exchange came as Israel reportedly launched 60 air strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight, targeting facilities used by the militant Hamas group.

But why would Hizbollah attack on behalf of Hamas? Why would a radical Lebanese shiite group show up for a Gonzo radical Palestinian Group?

This is war by proxy - the only real link is Iran, which has taken on funding Hamas as the more nervous Saudi sponsors have pulled away. With a cooperative Syria using a land link to southern Lebanon and Iran using the seas to export rockets to Lebanon, this could get a whole lot more dangerous for Israel.

Iran knows that if Israel actually does dismantle Hamas militarily, there is a chance that with a completely deteriorated infrastructure, Gaza may be eligible for being annexed by Egypt, while the PA administered West Bank could eventually become a Jordanian protectorate (long term). Getting back to the near to mid term, Gaza's fall would mean that Iran would lose a southern launching pad against Israel.

It is getting a little weird in the ME these days. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are lining up behind Israel (basically, but not in public) and Hamas, Hizbollah and Iran are lining up on the other side. They say politics makes strange bedfellows, but this is getting freaking nutty.

REM know how to celebrate times like these: