Utter Perfidy - Surprised by the Source?
The best-laid plans of countries within the United Nations do sometimes go askew. But exactly which "plans" could we possibly be referring to? The one that France so passionately thrust forth on the world stage to inhibit Israel from defending itself in the most unequivocal of ways? The one that France devised, offering its own armed services to defuse an untenable situation, knowing full well that compliance on one side could be assured while on the other it would not be, thus handily giving over to France the option to withdraw its offer - after the fact?And in the process assisting the world body to protect a fascist-inspired terrorist group to the existential detriment of its democratic neighbour. Yet another interference in the inevitable, guaranteeing that other assaults will occur perhaps with somewhat more impunity, having helpfully emboldened the aspirations of true enemies of any flavour of the day the West hopes to disarm a hostile Muslim world with. This is the same Western culture that still hasn't awakened to the present and ever-growing dangers from Islamofascists within its own borders, to its own indigenous populations.
Lebanon has denied that it has any intention of disarming Hezbollah, as per the conditions laid down in the United Nations-sponsored ceasefire which has seen Israel withdrawing its troops and handing them over gradually to Lebanese troops and, presumably, when they are in place, to the international force under the UN set to deploy in southern Lebanon. This, despite that Lebanon had originally agreed to this signal condition of the truce, but need we be surprised? Hezbollah also has defied the conditions of the truce, declaring with no equivocation whatsoever that they have no intention of laying down their arms, or giving them up meekly to any authoritative body.
But France? We now know that rumours which had been rumbling about on the world stage and leaking their way into the press are indeed true. After leading the charge to halt the war in Lebanon, after giving its word of honour that it was France's intention to take charge of an international UN force, France has now backed away from its promise, the very premise upon which is the backbone of the truce agreement. Instead of the 4,000-strong force anticipated, now France has downgraded their commitment to 400.
No fewer than 49 countries have gathered diplomatic resources within the United Nations to begin offering their part in assembling the international force which France had vowed to lend its 4,000-strong force to, and to head. A total of 15,000 comprised of troops from various countries interested in doing their part in fulfilling the UN-mandated truce, to balance the expected 15,000 Lebanese troops deploying in the southern portion of Lebanon hangs in the balance now.
Italy is echoeing France's second thoughts given the fact that any countries' troops assigned to join the international assemblage is potentially placed in harm's way by a militant Islamist faction amply armed by its hidden supporters, and more than ready to provoke another war with Israel. No country wants its soldiers caught in a deadly cross-fire of attack and retaliation.
"The UN had been counting on France to make up at least one-quarter of the UN force, but France and many of its European neighbours have grown reluctant. Their reticence stems from the inability to gain assurances from the Lebanese government that it will commit to disarming Hezbollah fighters"It does one well to remember that this is the same Lebanese government that claimed so piteously it had no hand in the original attack by Hezbollah on Israel, and therefore no responsibility for the attack. And that, futhermore, Israel was committing war atrocities against its civilians in its prosecution of the guerilla war that Hezbollah had mounted, where its fighters were safely ensconced in underground bunkers after withdrawing from rocket-launching positions within the civilian population, and Israel responded by bombing the sites from which rockets had been launched.
Matthew Fisher, reporting from Ras en Naquora in Lebanon tells us that in response to a question when asked yesterday whether the Lebanese army would try to disarm Hezbollah, as called for by the UN-brokered truce the answer was: "Are you dreaming?", from a Lebanese sergeant. This answer produced much laughter from a small group of chatting sholdiers, mere metres from the border with Israel.
"Hezbollah and the army are united. We are one," the Lebanese military sergeant said. "I will tell you the truth. My brother is in Hezbollah, so why would I want to take his weapon? We couldn't do it even if we wanted to. Hezbollah is stronger than we are."This turn of events was, of course, foreseen by objective observers and commentators. Israel knew this would be the outcome, and so did the international community. So why the pretence otherwise? To make this tentative truce possible? And if so, what exactly, other than a brief interdiction seemingly impossible to uphold between wars has it accomplished?
Still, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has the courage of his convictions, unlike French President Jacques Chirac, stating: "If I had thought it would have been a cakewalk, would I be asking such rigorous and precise guarantees? Certainly not." Meanwhile, Israel has charged that Hezbollah is already in the process of re-stocking its weapons through illegal shipments from Iran and Syria. What a surprise.
On the positive side, Saad Hariri, son of the late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has criticized Hezbollah's refusal to hand over its huge cache of weaponry, urging Hezbollah to cede military authority to the central government. Obviously, something that Hezbollah has never considered doing, and is highly unlikely to agree to within the next century.
Similarly, Walid Jumblatt, leader of the Druze sect, and a vocal critic of Hezbollah, stated that the Shia militant jihadists had undermined the legitimate government of Lebanon to begin with, by initiating their now-infamous cross-border raid which caused Israel's defensive offensives. Obviously these condemnations are causing Hezbollah and Sheik Nasrallah no great amount of pain.
All the analysis in the world will do nothing toward changing the status quo: a heavily-armed Islamofascist irregular army securing the trust of the country's Shia population, waiting until the time seems once again ripe to launch yet another attack on the country's neighbour, then shielding themselves yet again within the bosom of the trusting Shia civilians whom their very actions place in imminent and direct danger.
This is no less an intractable situation; rather it is now severely compounded.
So much for international concern of the displaced variety.
So much for the power to intervene in a positive and lasting way by the United Nations.
posted by Pieface @ Friday, August 18, 2006
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