OPINION:
Israel has long been worried that Hezbollah will be emboldened by access to sophisticated weapons in Syria provided by the Russian military, concerned that once the Syrian opposition has been vanquished, Hezbollah would turn its focus to the Jewish state. This worry seems to be legitimate, but not toward Israel, the focus has moved toward American forces in Iraq.
“ISIS, the stepdaughter of the Americans, is taking its last breaths, so the Americans dispatched their ground troops to protect the “clinically dead” body of ISIS,” a communique released by the group on Sunday claimed. The statement issued by the terrorist organization went on to boast about having “vanquished the American occupation” of Iraq and warning that, “The occupation’s coward soldiers should understand that however protective their vehicles are, these vehicles will become an obstacle for them and they will burn to death inside them.”
An American marine was killed over the weekend in the first U.S. casualty in the conflict with the Islamic State. Hezbollah seems to be worried that American troops returning would at some point support anti-Assad regime forces that Hezbollah, in concert with the Russian air force, have been targeting.
American combat troops are on the ground in Iraq supporting the Iraqi army and Kurdish forces in their goal to recapture the Iraqi town of Mosul from ISIS. U.S. Marines have set up forward positions in this effort.
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