Israel v. Lebanon, the wind-down?
Not on your life.
Israel has resumed bombing in full force, both in southern Lebanon and in Hezbollah "strongholds" in southern Beirut. They are actively trying to reoccupy some territories that they gave up in 2000 along the Israel-Lebanon border. In fact, according to the stance that the Israel-U.S. front is taking, there can be no cease-fire at all until Israel reoccupies this territory, so that the peacekeepers can enter.
In other words, the Israeli government is allowing Hezbollah to continue destroying Israel for as long as it can do so.
Unfortunately for Israel, every day this conflict continues lends more "street cred," as it were, to the strength of Hezbollah; thus, in a way, there is little hope, short of generational change, of fully dismembering Hezbollah. Any gains by Hezbollah are, by proxy, gains for Hamas, Syria, and Iran... and to Muslims who support the destruction of Israel. So, really, we're just amping the area up for World War III.
Blessed are the peacemakers, indeed.
Human Rights Watch released a report claiming 153 Lebanese civilian deaths, in a pattern that indicates (to it) that Israel is "deliberately" shooting at civilians. That's definitely a debatable point - it is a little difficult to avoid civilian deaths when the enemy forces are co-mingling with civilians, but the destruction of Lebanon's basic infrastructure enables civilian deaths more by making it more problematic for them to get the heck out of the war zone.
Some former high-ranking Israeli government officials point out a major flaw in Israel's plan for "victory" - mainly, that their plan for victory is impossible. The best Israel can hope for, according to former Israeli negotiator Gidi Grinstein, is to "severely compromise Hezbollah’s ability to fight Israel from inside Lebanon." That's a far cry from disarming them. Former Israeli National Security Advisor Giora Eiland says that any peace plan will involve a prisoner exchange (Israel has refused to give up any prisoners up to this point), a multinational border force, an Israeli promise to not "violate Lebanon's sovereignty," and Lebanese understanding that it has to take some responsibility for Hezbollah's future behaviors in Lebanon.
At least some people are talking sense.
-R.
Israel has resumed bombing in full force, both in southern Lebanon and in Hezbollah "strongholds" in southern Beirut. They are actively trying to reoccupy some territories that they gave up in 2000 along the Israel-Lebanon border. In fact, according to the stance that the Israel-U.S. front is taking, there can be no cease-fire at all until Israel reoccupies this territory, so that the peacekeepers can enter.
In other words, the Israeli government is allowing Hezbollah to continue destroying Israel for as long as it can do so.
Unfortunately for Israel, every day this conflict continues lends more "street cred," as it were, to the strength of Hezbollah; thus, in a way, there is little hope, short of generational change, of fully dismembering Hezbollah. Any gains by Hezbollah are, by proxy, gains for Hamas, Syria, and Iran... and to Muslims who support the destruction of Israel. So, really, we're just amping the area up for World War III.
Blessed are the peacemakers, indeed.
Human Rights Watch released a report claiming 153 Lebanese civilian deaths, in a pattern that indicates (to it) that Israel is "deliberately" shooting at civilians. That's definitely a debatable point - it is a little difficult to avoid civilian deaths when the enemy forces are co-mingling with civilians, but the destruction of Lebanon's basic infrastructure enables civilian deaths more by making it more problematic for them to get the heck out of the war zone.
Some former high-ranking Israeli government officials point out a major flaw in Israel's plan for "victory" - mainly, that their plan for victory is impossible. The best Israel can hope for, according to former Israeli negotiator Gidi Grinstein, is to "severely compromise Hezbollah’s ability to fight Israel from inside Lebanon." That's a far cry from disarming them. Former Israeli National Security Advisor Giora Eiland says that any peace plan will involve a prisoner exchange (Israel has refused to give up any prisoners up to this point), a multinational border force, an Israeli promise to not "violate Lebanon's sovereignty," and Lebanese understanding that it has to take some responsibility for Hezbollah's future behaviors in Lebanon.
At least some people are talking sense.
-R.
posted by Minister of Propaganda @ 8/03/2006 04:47:00 PM
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