Hezbollah Position Unclear; UNSCR Meaningless Unless Rocket Attacks End

Officials in Israel's Prime Minister's Office as well as those close to Defense Minister Amir Peretz and FM Tzipi Livni expressed satisfaction at the changes made to the draft Security Council resolution agreed upon by the U.S. and France, senior aides to PM Ehud Olmert said Friday night. Olmert will thus recommend to his ministers to vote in favor of the resolution at the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.

The draft proposal calls for a UN force to monitor a full cessation of hostilities and help Lebanese forces gain control over southern Lebanon. It emphasizes the need for the "unconditional release" of the two IDF soldiers kidnapped on July 12, but does not make a direct demand for their freedom. Additionally, it calls on Israel and Lebanon to agree to a long-term solution under which Hezbullah would be disarmed. The text does not define when Hezbollah would be disarmed and by whom.

Further, it calls for a phased withdrawal by Israeli troops as the Lebanese army deploys 15,000 troops in the south, controlled by Hezbollah. At the same time, UNIFIL would be reinforced by French and other troops, perhaps as many as 15,000. The draft does not specify which chapter of the UN Charter UNIFIL would be authorized under. Instead, it says their mandate would include several elements: monitoring the cessation of hostilities, accompanying Lebanese troops as they deploy and as Israel withdraws, and ensuring humanitarian access. As in earlier drafts, the resolution includes an arms embargo on weapons flowing to Lebanon except for those ordered by the Beirut army and UN forces.

The question is, does any of this matter? The Security Council will likely unanimously approve the resolution tonight. Israel will likely accept it on Sunday. Lebanon has expressed satisfaction, but none of this matters if Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the terrorist Hezbollah organization, does not accept it. If the rocket attacks continue, if Israeli civilians are forced to live their lives in bomb shelters, if the IDF is attacked from their positions within Israel, then Israel can and will exercise its legitimate right to self-defense, and this resolution will have achieved little if anything at all. So by all means, Israel must accept this resolution. As Secretary Rice has said in the past, following this resolution, "We will see who is for peace and who is not."

Comments

[Garduneh Mehr]

I hope Israel won't allow a bunch of UN types rob her of yet another victory. Defeating Hizbullah is very significant for the region. You see, the Muslim psyche is such that they rally around power. Defeating Hizbullah means taking away the credibility of the Islamic Regime in Iran event amongst Islamists.
G_d bless the IDF

[Garduneh Mehr]

I hope Israel won't allow a bunch of UN types to rob her of yet another victory. Defeating Hizbullah is very significant for the region. You see, the Muslim psyche is such that they rally around power. Defeating Hizbullah means taking away the credibility of the Islamic Regime in Iran even amongst the Islamists!
G_d bless the IDF

[A sorroeful American]

To Israel I say rid yourself of the traitor Olmert and I apologize for President Betrayer Bush. Please forgive us.

[Garduneh Mehr]

"A sorroeful American"

You're not American. An American would know how to spell "Sorrowful" which does not fit the context anyway. [I myself didn't know a word of English until I was fifteen!]

[A sorrowful American]

You are correct in pointing out my typo. You are incorrect in saying I'm not an American. You are also incorrect in your context comment, which didn't make sense.

So, let me try to be a little clearer in my english usage for someone that didn't speak english until they were fifteen.

Olmert is a traitor. He is the first Israeli PM to preside over an Israeli defeat. He knuckled under to Bush and worldwide opinion.

Betrayer Bush "dumped" on Israel for unknown reasons, but his forcing Olmert to surrender is a significant breach in the US relationship with Israel.

[Garduneh Mehr]

I would thank you not to use the words "Israel" and "defeat" in the same sentence please.

[Nudnik]

Unfortuantely Nasrallah will accept this. What reason does he have not to? He has achieved his war aims; the two Israeli soldiers are still held captive, he has shown that he can attack Israeli cities and the IDF can do little about it, he has fought the IDF to a draw on the ground, and his gang's influence and prestige has been increased. He would be crazy not to accept the cease-fire. And now, he will have 15,000 UN "peacekeepers" to protect him the next time he attacks Israel.

And unfortunately Israel has lost. It achieved none of its strategic or tactical war aims. The fault for this is undoubtedly Olmert's and Peretz's. They are incompetent leaders who dithered instead of unleashing the full might of the IDF.

[Garduneh Mehr]

Nudnik,
No one has signed anything yet, there may yet be hope for an Israeli victory.

[kj235j1trkj151]

That makes sense: the resolution will eventually show Hezbullah is not interested in peace giving Israel a better image as it dismantles Hezbullah.

Another possibility is that the resolution is merely a publicity stunt to make UN officials and security council countries and diplomats and politicians in combatant conuntries look like they are involved because that image helps their individual interests.