You'll get no argument from me that Israel's punitive campaign against their Hezbollah tormentors is long overdue and should continue until the terrorists are severely crippled in their ability to harm Israeli citizens.
But "Operation Just Reward" is also imperiling almost a year's worth of hard, slogging work done by a few heroic individuals in Lebanon who have braved assassination threats (and attempts), risked their political hides, and at great personal cost, carefully tried to maneuver through the minefields of Lebanese politics in order to give this tragic country a real shot at something all of us here in America devoutly wish — a secular, free market democracy in the Middle East.
While our attention here has been rightly focused on the struggles for democracy and security in Iraq, Lebanon has been going through a wrenching process of self examination and national dialogue that at times has threatened to shatter the fragile coalition of disparate groups who came together in the wake of the assassination of the former Prime Minister, the beloved Rafiq Hariri. Much more comfortable fighting each other than planning an electoral coup, these groups representing all religions, clans, regions, and interests were able to drive millions into the streets to protest Syria's stranglehold on their country. Their unity led to the premature withdrawal of Syrian forces and a surprising electoral victory for their coalition, the March 14 Forces, a year ago.
Things have not gone very smoothly since then. Wrestling with a bloody past, trying to get beyond a civil war that lasted nearly a quarter of a century, the factions have squabbled over ministry appointments, failed to unite in an effort to oust the Syrian stooge President Emile Lahoud, nearly dissolved over a new electoral law that would do away with much of the artificial sectarian divisions in politics, and most importantly, failed to confront Hezbollah and their allies in government over a multitude of sins.
Israel's raid into Lebanon to retrieve their captured soldiers and their call for the Lebanese government to rein in the terrorists who operate within their borders are making Prime Minster Fouad Siniora's life extremely difficult. A Sunni Muslim and long-time friend of the Hariri family, Siniora has guided his quarrelsome government with competence but, many critics allege, without much imagination. This may be an unfair criticism because most of the stickiest problems facing Lebanon can be traced to the divided loyalties of some of its most powerful factions.
Syria's departure left a power vacuum that Hezbollah was only too ready to step in and fill. It's simplistic to refer to them as a terrorist group given the fact that they have become a symbol of resistance to the Israelis as well as a huge provider of government services in southern Lebanon. Their spiritual leader, Hassan Nasrallah, is one of the most popular political figures in the country, although that popularity is being sorely tested thanks to his unilateral decision to commit aggression against the Israelis. Their influence on the majority Shia population extends far beyond their rather meager representation in Parliament. And, when it comes right down to the nitty gritty, they're one of the only ones with guns in the country. It is widely thought that they are Syria's representatives in government which doesn't seem to hurt them politically as much as it should.
Article comments
1 - Sanjay
Look, the reality here is that the Syrian and Iranian dictatorships, who are already on thin ice with a large US military presence on their borders, are just stoking up the flames by instigating their Hezbollah surrogates to engage in provocations like kidnapping.
2 - Dave Nalle
For the Lebanese army to replace Hezballah on the border they would have to wipe Hezballah out. I just don't see that happening without some sort of outside help. I have serious doubts that the US is ready to go into Lebanon to give them the support it would take and the Europeans certainly don't have the spine for it.
Dave
3 - Rick Moran
Dave:
You really are quite prescient: aolnews
Lebanese are asking the UN to help their army move into the southern border area.
4 - Sanjay
The problem is that UN forces would likely not stop Hezbollah guerrillas from operating in the areas. All they would do is act as human shields to deter Israeli retaliation.
What's needed is the re-establishment of the South Lebanese Army. This would provide a buffer zone between Israel and Hezbollah.
5 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Sanjay, you have your tenses mixed up. It's not that the UN never would help get rid of HizbAllah - they never have, never do and they never will. The appopriate title for the abbreviation UNO is Useless Numbskulls Organization.
6 - Sanjay
Ruvy, my statement was based on past history, of course. We all know how the UN and guerrillas behave. The terrain favors the guerrillas.
It's ironic that in the conflict on the island of Sri Lanka, where the field of battle is often on water or at least bounded by water, there you see it's the guerrilla terrorists who want the UN to go away, while the Sri Lankan govt want the UN to stay.
Because the sea disfavors guerrilla activity, and because the LTTE guerrillas are similarly isolated on the political front without lots of Arab nations to vote for them, there the dispositions towards the UN are inverted.
7 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Sanjay,
Someone should tell those Tamils to convert to Islam - OOPS!! I've said too much already!
8 - Sanjay
Ruvy, actually, it's the Hezbollah and Hamas who came to imitate them. The LTTE were the originators of the suicide bombing tactic, which they have used extraordinarily effectively. But you're right, they're at a disadvantage in not having 50 nations to vote for them automatically at the UN.
Now maybe that's an idea on how to protect any future replacements for the Twin Towers -- just locate the UN offices inside them! You know the Arabs won't launch suicide attacks against their friend.
9 - Dawn
It's sad to see a relatively modern and moderate Arab nation like Lebanon caught in the middle between this terrorist faction and Israel, but the ultimate goal here I would think is for Israel to destroy this group once and for all, and get those fucking psycho meddling Iranians out of Lebanon and back to there own country where they too can be destroyed for being anti-social buttplugs.
Man I am sick of all these dictators and evil factions with inferiority complexes. Live in peace, or fuck off die once and for all. Enough already.