K.I.S.S. guide to the
Unrest in the Middle East
Part I

In an effort to understand the multitude of news reports and information being offered by the media, I did what most politically confused people do, I asked a friend to explain it to me in the most simple way possible.

My friend is a 27 year old Naval Intelligence Officer with a BA in political science. His passion is world affairs and he is studying to take the LSAT this year.

I hope this enlightens someone. It sure helped me!

Tee says:
Hey, I’ve been seeing a lot of snippets of news reports about a lot of fighting going on in the Middle East. What is happening over there?

ZoeBoy says:
It’s just a little blood letting on the part of Israel.The fighting intially was over the capture of a single Israeli soldier by the Palestinian militia group called Hammas. Israel began precision attacks on the roads and bridges and communication networks to keep the militia from smuggling out the captured soldier.

ZoeBoy says:
Shortly thereafter, the Lebanese militia group, called Hesbolla, to the north of Israel decided to attack Israel. They managed to kill a hand full of soldiers and take two hostages.

Tee says:
Why did they capture the soldier?

ZoeBoy says:
Hammas (Palestinians) kidnapped the soldier as leverage to negotiate the release of women and teenagers being held in Israeli prisons.

Tee says:
Is Hammas a political group? Or a gang or something?

ZoeBoy says:
Good question…Hammas is two fronts: the political wing, and the military wing.

ZoeBoy says:
The United States, as well as the other western countries, consider Hammas a terrorist organization. but it’s Ironic…the Palestinians recently held free elections and the election was monitered by the UN and the people voted in great numbers to establish a Hammas gov’t.

Tee says:
Ok so.. back to the fighting

ZoeBoy says:
ok

Tee says:
So now they have the captured soldier. The Israeli’s are upset. Is that why they started bombing?

ZoeBoy says:
Yes. To keep the Hammas group from smuggling the soldier outside of Gaza (a city in the Palestinian terroritory)

Tee says:
Huh? So they would rather kill the soldier than allow him to be smuggled? Are they aiming bombs at the smugglers or the regular citizens?

ZoeBoy says:
They have no idea where the soldier is being kept, or more importantly, if he’s even alive. What they do or did know, is that he was still in the city. So the plan was to take out the major roads, bridges and sidewalks if they had to, to keep Hammas pinned.

Tee says:
Wow.

Tee says:
So why is everyone talking WWIII talk? How could this turn into a World War?

ZoeBoy says:
That is a very extreme future to this conflict, nevertheless, scary enough to talk about. What can happen is the calling of all Islamic states to come in defense of their muslim brothers in Lebanon and in the Palestinian territory. By doing this Israel would have no choice but to call in it’s ally—the United States. The US versus the middle east…WWIII

Tee says:
Wow. Thanks Z. Will we chat again soon?

ZoeBoy:
Anytime.