Analysis: Resolution 1701 Language Achieves Israel's Fundamental Goals

Now that we've had some more time to absorb the newly passed UN Security Council Resolution 1701, here's some of our thoughts:

With its acceptance, Israel obviously thinks it contains the essential elements to build a more stable and secure situation for them and that it will prevent Hezbollah from being able to create the sort of regional crisis we have witnessed in the past month.

Looking at the preamble, we see that the Security Council clearly puts the blame on Hezbollah, calls for the unconditional release of the Israeli hostages, and calls for the implementation of UNSCR 1559.

Further down into the operative paragraphs, UNSCR 1701 calls for the cessation of all Hezbollah attacks, gives UNIFIL an improved mandate to take "all necessary action" to prevent hostile activities of any kind in its area of operations, calls that there be no armed groups, foreign or domestic (reads like UNSCR 1559), establishes an arms embargo on any groups other than the Lebanese army, and forbids Hezbollah from returning to southern Lebanon below the Litani River.

Thus, UNSCR 1701 contains the fundamental elements which Israel set out to achieve: the return of its hostages, the removal of Hezbollah as a threat to Israel and the implementation of UNSCR 1559. Now all that needs to happen, which is no given, is implementation by the international community.

Of course, as we said yesterday, "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

[Wadard]

http://www.halturnershow.com/IsraeliAtrocities.html

[kwjl213]

This reminds me of how the US "lost" the Vietnam war. The US signed a peace treaty that would be guranteed by foreign countries and the US forces left.

Then a couple of years later the North Vietnamese army came down into the south and the foreign gurantors were nowhere to be found. The US being too tired of it all to support South Vietnam, evacuated the embassy and that was the end.

[Terrye]

Israel is not bound to leave until their objectives have been met. I think that some critics of the resolution do not understand it.

[Mike's America]

Mark me down as underwhelmed by another resolution from the Useless Nations (UN).

And I am very disappointed that Israel failed to exploit the military opportunity it had to humiliate Hezbollah.

Like all the other resolutions and Oslo type agreements the Islamic fanatics will lie through their teeth while they rearm.

And by not totally humiliating Hezbollah, every Islamic fanatic will be emboldened.

I hear promises that the remaining unresolved issues (oh....little things like the kidnapped soldiers) will be hashed out later.

Those promises are worth even less than the paper on which 1701 is printed.

P.S. Olmert should go!

[Kristian]

Olmert will use this United (Socialist Muslim Fascist Satanist) Nations resolution to remove all the settlements. And then s*** will hit the fan. Psalm 83 and Obadiah and Ezekiel ch.38+39.

Isaiah 28:14-18 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.