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Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Livni is living in a dream world

It's scary to think that this woman is our foreign minister.

If you read the two entries below on the home page, I think you will get the sense that Lebanon is de facto being run by Hezbullah. While I'm not in Lebanon, my sense is that impression is correct.

But listen to what Foreign Minister Tzippu Livni is saying as she prepares to take her belated shopping trip diplomatic journey to New York to meet with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan:

"Hizbullah is currently crippled. It will not risk clashing with Lebanese armed forces. We must understand that there is a chance that this process can change everything that is happening in Lebanon. I'm referring to a multinational force, an embargo on Syria and Iran, distancing Hizbullah from the border. The true test of the military operation and the political process will take place over time. We need to see, over time, if the clauses of the resolution are implemented."
Hezbullah doesn't need to clash with the Lebanese army because it is on its way to becoming the Lebanese army. Using Iranian funding, Hezbullah is rebuilding Lebanon and endearing itself to the Lebanese people. All while the feckless Lebanese government headed by the inept Fuad Siniora sits on the side and does nothing. Crippled? Hardly.
"I want to emphasize that the future is not only in the hands of the Israeli government, but also in the hands of the Lebanese government. UNSCR 1701 must be implemented in its entirety and any Hizbullah fire in Lebanon will constitute a violation of the resolution. Hizbullah was called to stop its assaults immediately, not only against Israel, but also against IDF soldiers remaining in Lebanon and I call for a full realization of this ceasefire," she added.
Hezbullah will sit quietly for a few months and rebuild Lebanon. Its arms will remain in place in southern Lebanon (go read the posts below!) waiting for the next time.... So what did we accomplish? As to the Lebanese government, it is as ineffective and inept as ever.
Livni also addressed the issue of Iranian and Syrian involvement in Lebanon, saying: "UNSCR 1701 is intended to loosen these countries' grip on Lebanon. The resolution is contrary to Iranian interests. They desire a front with Israel via Hizbullah. The resolution prevents this and distances Hizbullah."
It sounds like Iran is staying very much involved by pouring money into Lebanon. What are we going to do about that?

So that when Livni says
In response to claims that military operations should have continued, Livni said: "Military operations, regardless of duration, could not have produced outcomes. It was necessary to move on and focus on the political phase, which was in motion from the onset of the conflict. I believe that the results of the ceasefire agreement, if implemented, are enough. We will only be able to evaluate this in the long-term, not now."
I can only say that it sounds like the political phase is on its way to being an even bigger failure than the military phase was.

2 Comments:

At 9:12 AM, Blogger Leo Pusateri said...

I am sorry that Israel adopted this obviously one-sided ceasefire.

Please know that many of us in the United States are praying that Israel will eventually emerge victorious, and will be able to vanquish the Hezbollah threat to both itself and the world.

 
At 6:29 PM, Blogger Red Tulips said...

Gershon:

I totally agree. This cease fire was a sham, and I knew it from theh second it was announced.

I only hope that the "cease fire" does not create unmanageable problems down the line.

 

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