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A Moment to Be Seized in Lebanon

[Washington Post] Charles Krauthammer - The preamble of newly-minted UN Resolution 1701, mandating the return of south Lebanon to Lebanese government control, lists seven Security Council resolutions going back 28 years that have demanded the same thing. There is no doubt that had Israel been permitted to proceed with the expanded offensive it began two days before the cease-fire, Israel would eventually have destroyed Hizballah in the south, albeit at great cost to itself, Lebanon, and Israel's patron, the U.S. - which is why the war was called off. Having obviated that possibility with the cease-fire, the U.S. is left with certain responsibilities. Hizballah has declared that it will not disarm. Everything remains in place awaiting the order to restart the war when the time is right. That arrangement, essentially a return to the status quo ante, is precisely what the U.S. had said it would not permit. With the psychological success of the war with Israel, Hizballah may soon become the dominant force in all of Lebanon. In the south, the Lebanese army will be taking orders from Hizballah. That is why ensuring that Hizballah is cut down to size by a robust international force with very strict enforcement of its disarmament is so critical. For all its boasts, Hizballah has suffered grievously militarily, with enormous losses of fighters, materiel, and infrastructure. Now is its moment of maximum weakness. That moment will not last long. Resupply and rebuilding have already begun. If we are not working frantically behind the scenes to make sure that the UN gets real troops in quickly, armed with the right equipment and the right mandate, the moment will be lost. And with it Lebanon.
2006-08-18 01:00:00
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