Friday, July 14, 2006
Hezbollah in the news
Attacks Could Erode Faction's Support announces the Washington Post on top of an article discussing the effect of Hezbollah’s attack on Israel on the terrorist group. The article also highlights Lebanon’s dilemma:
“"To declare war and to make military action must be a decision made by the state and not by a party," said Nabil de Freige, a parliament member…"It's a very simple equation: You have to be a state."
Lebanon might as well act like a real state because Israel is treating it as one. The Lebanon nation is being forced to cash the check that Hezbollah wrote in this instance… and deservedly so. There have been the predictable outcries that Israel has responded “disproportionately” but I honestly don’t know what would have been proportionate. Kidnap a couple Hezbollah terrorists? I think that’s a trade Hezbollah makes every time.
A so-called “proportionate response” is a term of art. Proportionate responses don’t dissuade nor deter. So to hell with a proportionate response in this instance. In fact, I’d argue that Israel’s response has not been disproportionate enough seeing as how Hezbollah is showing no signs of second-guessing its strategy and Lebanon has yet to crack down on Hezbollah.
Now there is sure to be some search for who to blame for this mess - how did Hezbollah manage to amass the resources to act like a rogue state:
“And even critics such as Jumblatt say the prospect of the group's disarmament -- a requirement under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 -- is almost impossible.
"We don't have the means to disarm Hezbollah, and we don't want to have a civil war here," he said”
So you can’t blame the UN; they did every thing they could. Fortunately, since they’ve already handled the Hezbollah problem, they can now direct their influence to that Iranian problem. Frustrated World Powers Send Iran to U.N.
.
“"To declare war and to make military action must be a decision made by the state and not by a party," said Nabil de Freige, a parliament member…"It's a very simple equation: You have to be a state."
Lebanon might as well act like a real state because Israel is treating it as one. The Lebanon nation is being forced to cash the check that Hezbollah wrote in this instance… and deservedly so. There have been the predictable outcries that Israel has responded “disproportionately” but I honestly don’t know what would have been proportionate. Kidnap a couple Hezbollah terrorists? I think that’s a trade Hezbollah makes every time.
A so-called “proportionate response” is a term of art. Proportionate responses don’t dissuade nor deter. So to hell with a proportionate response in this instance. In fact, I’d argue that Israel’s response has not been disproportionate enough seeing as how Hezbollah is showing no signs of second-guessing its strategy and Lebanon has yet to crack down on Hezbollah.
Now there is sure to be some search for who to blame for this mess - how did Hezbollah manage to amass the resources to act like a rogue state:
“And even critics such as Jumblatt say the prospect of the group's disarmament -- a requirement under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 -- is almost impossible.
"We don't have the means to disarm Hezbollah, and we don't want to have a civil war here," he said”
So you can’t blame the UN; they did every thing they could. Fortunately, since they’ve already handled the Hezbollah problem, they can now direct their influence to that Iranian problem. Frustrated World Powers Send Iran to U.N.
.
