A recent report out of the BBC cited a Hezbollah MP condemning the US for placing the USS Cole off the coast of Lebanon as a threat to independence and sovereignty. I find it fascinating that Hezbollah has come out against the US action through legitimate channels, but I wonder if such declarations represent a prelude to any violent activity from Hezbollah. Will the deployment of the USS Cole create a discontent which will promote more US targeted terrorist activity in the area? The MP, Hassan Fadlallah, told reporters, "We don't succumb to threats and military intimidation practised by the United States to implement its hegemony over Lebanon."
The US maintains that it deployed the ship to show support for regional stability--not to send a signal to any one country. Keeping the ship out of visible range of Lebanon may limit Hezbollah's ability to arouse popular discontent with the action, but then again, maybe not.
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It seems like this is just Hezbollah's way of whining about what the U.S. is doing. Obviously U.S. concerns about groups like Hezbollah are only relevant really as they pertain to Iraq. I think he's kidding himself if he thinks we have such a beef with Lebannon that we're sending over naval vessels for their sake.
Anyway, I really don't think Hezbollah is likely to strike against the U.S. in that fashion either. It seems rather unwise to pick an actual fight with the U.S. at this point in time, but Iran has gotten away with this verbal confrontation for quite some time so maybe Hezbollah has decided to do the same. If Hezbollah will be doing any fighting, I'm sure it will be under secrecy with terrorist strikes in Iraq, not against the U.S.S. Cole.
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