Israel Matzav

Is Siniora smelling the coffee?

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora today asked the international community to disarm Hezbullah, accusing the terrorist organization of establishing a 'state within a state.'

Siniora made the statement in the Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera. Siniora said that Hezbullah has been doing the bidding of Syria and Iran, and that it can only be disarmed with the help of the international community and once a cease-fire has been achieved in the current Middle East fighting. I'm glad to see that he finally recognizes that Hezbullah works for Syria and Iran, but given the time, and the cooperation of the Lebanese government once the dust clears, I think Israel can disarm Hezbullah without starting with international forces.

Siniora told the Italian newspaper that, "It's not a mystery that Hizbullah answers to the political agendas of Teheran and Damascus. The entire world must help us disarm Hizbullah. But first we need to reach a cease-fire."

Siniora said Lebanon is too weak to attack Hizbullah's stranglehold in the south of the country on its own. For some reason, he apparently objects to the Israelis doing the job for him. It's not clear why.

Siniora continued: "The important thing now is to restore full Lebanese sovereignty in the south, dismantling any armed militia parallel to the national army. The Syrians are inside our home and we are still too weak to defend ourselves. The terrible memories of the civil war are still too alive and no one is ready to take up arms."

The Jerusalem Post notes that the prime minister was quoted as saying that to disarm the militia it is also necessary for Israel to help delegitimize it by releasing Lebanese prisoners and withdrawing from the Chebaa Farms, a disputed territory that Lebanon claims and Hizbullah uses as a pretext to keep attacking Israeli forces.

This is complete and utter nonsense, and Siniora is making that statement so that he is not attacked by domestic parties other than Hezbullah. The UN has ruled that Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 was completed, and that Israeli forces were deployed on the international border. The Chebaa Farms were inside Israel, according to the internationally-recognized boundary line.

The Syrians also say that they have a claim to the Chebaa Farms, but when they were asked to indicate whether the area belongs to Lebanon or to 'Israeli-occupied Syria' they refused.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:24 PM