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A Diplomatic Disaster in the Making

[National Review] Anne Bayefsky - The UN's verbal assault on Israel is coupled with a three-pronged political agenda. The UN seeks to: (1) protect Hizballah from further Israeli attacks; (2) produce a political win for Hizballah by giving them the territorial prize of the Shebaa farms; and (3) increase UN presence, oversight, and control of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Every element of this agenda is satisfied in the current UN resolution and is part of the declared intention of the second resolution to follow. The resolution calls for a "full cessation of hostilities" and "the immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations." What offensive military operations? The resolution reintroduces the notion that Israel occupies Lebanese territory, calling for action on "areas where the border is disputed or uncertain, including in the Shebaa farms area." It completely contradicts the secretary-general's own final determination of January 20, 2005, that the Shebaa farms is not Lebanese. An international force is to be authorized under the first-ever Chapter VII resolution - a legally binding resolution that can be implemented through sanctions or the use of force - in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The very UN that accuses Israel of murder and heinous violations of international law is now to be charged with judging compliance with a legally binding instrument purporting to define the terms and conditions of Israel's self-defense.
2006-08-08 01:00:00
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