The Obama State Department called the rocket attacks from southern Lebanon into Israel this week a "provocative act," but urged all parties to "exercise restraint. " In response, critics of President Obama call his reaction "absurd."
A network calling itself the Abdullah Azzam Brigades claims responsibility for some of the rocket attacks on Israel over the past few days.
According to an U.S. intelligence source, the network is affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the global jihad. It is headed by Salah al-Qar'awi, a Saudi Arabian who fought the Americans at Fallujah in Iraq.
The Abdullah Azzam Brigades are a terrorist network in Lebanon operating in the Palestinian refugee camps and have a branch in the Arabian Peninsula.
"[President Barack Obama and Secretary Hillary Clinton] condemn the firing of rockets from Lebanon towards Israel. This was a provocative act," department spokesman Mark Toner stated.
However, observers in Washington, D.C., believe Obama's and Clinton's "outrage" rings hollow.
"Imagine the drug cartels in Mexico launching RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) or mortar shells into Texas or Arizona? Would Americans call on Obama to show retraint? I mean, other than the likes of the New York Times or MSNBC," notes former military intelligence officer and New York police detective Mike Snopes.
"Islamists are winning elections in Egypt and we all know what they want to do to the Jews --- and Obama is calling for restraint?" quipped Snopes.
Toner agreed that the rocket attacks undermined the stability of Lebanon and constituted a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a month-long war between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terrorist group in 2006.
Resolution 1701 also calls for respect for the so-called Blue Line separating Israel and Lebanon, the disarming of all militias in Lebanon, and an end to arms smuggling in the area.
"We call on all parties to respect the Blue Line, as prescribed by UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and to exercise restraint, " Toner said, urging Lebanon to continue its cooperation with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon to identify the source of the attack.
The four Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon struck northern Israel last Tuesday morning, causing a fire and some property damage. In addition, rockets are being fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip by either Hamas or the Army of Israel which is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.
"While Israel's enemies threaten them with harsh diatribes and hurl missiles at Israeli towns, the Obama administration and the world community want the Israeli government to negotiate with their attackers? Only a government full of cowards would do such a thing," said political strategist Mike Baker.
Jim Kouri, CPP, is founder and CEO of Kouri Associates, a homeland security, public safety and political consulting firm. He’s formerly Fifth Vice-President, now a Board Member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, an editor for ConservativeBase.com, a columnist for Examiner.com, a contributor to KGAB radio news, and news director for NewswithViews.com.
He’s former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed “Crack City” by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at St. Peter’s University and director of security for several major organizations. He’s also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country.
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