Friedman: Hezbollah has really screwed the pooch this time

VERY interesting column from Big Smart Tom Friedman in today's DMN. Of course, it's property of the NYT, so you can't read it online unless you've shelled out the dough for TimeSelect (my opinion of which has been made clear before).

Go read your copy of the DMN today, or get raped by the Grey Lady. Get your hands on this column.

Friedman's point is: Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been lauded over the years as a visionary Arab leader. However, lately he's shown his true colors, which seem to indicate that he's just another Big Muslim Dummy.

Hezbollah had been making some progress. They had a couple of guys in the Lebanese parliament, they had a fairly stable state-within-a-state in southern Lebanon, and their little buddies from Hamas were actually elected to govern the Palestinian territories.

They (Hezbollah and Hamas) have thrown it all away, and in the process, have severely, and maybe permanently, damaged the whole concept of Arab democracy. Islamist parties were making some headway in the political process, but how on Earth are Israel and the West going to feel about free elections when freely elected Arab governments are launching missiles at civilians and kidnapping soldiers of other nations?

Fascist regimes like the Saudis should be sending Nasrallah a big Thank You bouquet from ProFlowers.

Friedman goes on to conject (is that a word?) about the end-game between Israel and it's friendly neighbors. This could be, Friedman opines, the chance to create some distance between Syria and Iran. Unlikely, to be sure, but tantalizing enough that I sincerely hope the Big Washington Dummies are at least thinking about it.

Go read it, if you can.