Funny thing about a cease fire
I should preface my thoughts here by saying that I am always happy when two sides agree to stop beating the hell out of each other. That said...
There is something funny about the new cease fire between Israel and Hezbollah. Don't most parties involved with this view Hezbollah as a terrorist organization? Aren't cease fires negotiated? Despite our harsh rhetoric, did we just negotiate with terrorists? Very interesting that a non-state terrorist entity can get a negotiated cease fire agreement through the United Nations.
I think that this could be very bad long term for the interests of both Israel and the United States in the region. Israel made a serious strategic error in thinking that they could just bomb Hezbollah into submission. In the beginning, they had the support of almost every country in the region, but as the air campaign wore on and Hezbollah showed no signs of weakening, public support began to move to the side of Hezbollah. Furthermore, Hezbollah was able to do something that no Arab nation has ever been able to do: Fight Israel to a standstill. I think this has less to do with the capabilities and fortitude of Hezbollah and everything to do with Israel's strategic blunder. Seems to be a bunch of that going around lately.
Now, Hezbollah has shown the Arab world that they are capable of standing up to the "Zionist aggresor". The public adores them. So far, they have been Johnny-on-the-spot in the destroyed areas with cleanup and humanitarian aid. This would be like the Republican party rolling into New Orleans and funding the cleanup and reconstruction out of their private bank account. The public is only going to love Hezbollah more. Remember that Lebanon is a democratic republic, and that chances will increase of Hezbollah obtaining additional power in the government.
Also of interest today was the fact that President Bush called Lebanon the third front in the war on terror. Someone should have told him that the world brokered a treaty with a terrorist organization and the war is over, at least for now.
This could have possibly set a precedent. I wonder if someday the United Nations will broker a cease fire between the United States and the Iraqi insurgency.
There is something funny about the new cease fire between Israel and Hezbollah. Don't most parties involved with this view Hezbollah as a terrorist organization? Aren't cease fires negotiated? Despite our harsh rhetoric, did we just negotiate with terrorists? Very interesting that a non-state terrorist entity can get a negotiated cease fire agreement through the United Nations.
I think that this could be very bad long term for the interests of both Israel and the United States in the region. Israel made a serious strategic error in thinking that they could just bomb Hezbollah into submission. In the beginning, they had the support of almost every country in the region, but as the air campaign wore on and Hezbollah showed no signs of weakening, public support began to move to the side of Hezbollah. Furthermore, Hezbollah was able to do something that no Arab nation has ever been able to do: Fight Israel to a standstill. I think this has less to do with the capabilities and fortitude of Hezbollah and everything to do with Israel's strategic blunder. Seems to be a bunch of that going around lately.
Now, Hezbollah has shown the Arab world that they are capable of standing up to the "Zionist aggresor". The public adores them. So far, they have been Johnny-on-the-spot in the destroyed areas with cleanup and humanitarian aid. This would be like the Republican party rolling into New Orleans and funding the cleanup and reconstruction out of their private bank account. The public is only going to love Hezbollah more. Remember that Lebanon is a democratic republic, and that chances will increase of Hezbollah obtaining additional power in the government.
Also of interest today was the fact that President Bush called Lebanon the third front in the war on terror. Someone should have told him that the world brokered a treaty with a terrorist organization and the war is over, at least for now.
This could have possibly set a precedent. I wonder if someday the United Nations will broker a cease fire between the United States and the Iraqi insurgency.
posted by rol-e at 3:59 PM
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