Lebanese Viagra

It has been 14 days since the Lebanese-Israeli conflict began. Two weeks. It took two weeks for a real peace proposal to hit the table. While hundreds of Lebanese are dying, Lebanese civilian infrastructure being destroyed, and any attempt at Arab-Israeli trust being obliterated; the world dragged its feet to come to a solution. Almost everyone agreed, everyone except the US and Israel, that an immediate cease-fire was necessary. Once again, the US proved that it doesn't have to take anybody's guff and continued to support Israel's defiance of international pressure. The world said stop, and the US said no. It took less than 12 hours for US approval of expediation of a shipment of laser-guided missiles to Israel. It took over 12 days for Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to step foot in Beirut.

What does the international peace plan call for? First it allows for $30 million in humanitarian aid to Lebanon. Easily eclipsing all other totals from every other government except the Saudi's, who have agreed to send $1.5 billion. Second, it calls for an 'international force' to be deployed into Southern Lebanon. Please notice that the words, 'peacekeeping', have been left out of here. There is a reason for this. This force is meant to destroy the remnants of the Hezbollah militia. This is definitely a good thing. Hezbollah need to get in line with the other serious Islamic political parties, adhere to UN Resolution 1559, and disband the military. This is a group that has a lot of resonance with Islamic Shi'a and it would turn a messy situation messier, if Hezbollah leadership was destroyed. The 'international force' would be made up of 10,000 Egyptian and Turkish troops, and 30,000 international troops. A majority of the international troops would most likely be made up of French army. The groups would be lead by a NATO and UN military command. This all sounds like a quality situation but there is just one problem, how is this a peace settlement?

How can you have a peace settlement when there is nobody to negotiate peace with? There is obviously no shot of Americans turning on the tv to see President Bush and Hassan Nasrallah having a discussion on the peace process. The United States refuses to negotiate with terror groups, and Hezbollah is on the US Terror List. The US hasn't had diplomatic relations with Syria in a year, since the assasination of Prime Minister Hariri. The more it becomes apparent that Syria is the main link to Hezbollah, the more this decision looks foolish. Finally, we are definitely not talking to Iran, because they have a man in power who still doesn't believe the Holocaust happened, and refuses to cease enriching uranium. Furthermore, we know that Lebanon has no control over the southern region of their country, and there are many doubts as to whether or not Lebanon has ever regained control over any part of their country. When all is said and done I think we will look back at the current Lebanese government as more impotent than Bob Dole after a bottle of Jack Daniels. These guys have no power at all. So again, who is the US and Israel negotiating with?

What is the solution here? I think the current plan on the table is a solid place to start. I agree with basically everything that it calls for. The most important thing that must be established, is the rehabalitation of Lebanon. The 'international force' must help the Lebanese government get control of its own region, which is its main objective. Syria absolutely must be brought to the table, and any sort of peace discussion must include them. The further the US alienates Syria, the closer the world comes to having to deal with this problem again in a few months. If Hezbollah is rooted out, and Syria is not involved, make no mistake, there will be another Hezbollah before long. Speaking of Hezbollah, it must be demanded of them that they drop their military capacities. If they want to contribute to the Lebanese government as a legitimate political party, that absolutely must be allowed. However, if they refuse to disarm, they will have to be dealt with. I personally do not see Hezbollah as a terror organization (I will expound on this concept in another blog), but that does not mean they should not be dealt with as a rebellious group of they remain armed.

Last, but of course not least, we have Israel. Israel, O Israel. Can someone please tell me why Israel can continously get away with this? Are they paying someone off? Do they have lawyers that are really just that good? Obviously it is because the state of Israel has basically served as the United States's little brother, and are protected as such. Nowhere else in the world can a government commit such atrocities without being absolutely and positively condemned. This nation continues to recieve intense international support from the US and her allies, despite the fact that they are responsible for some of the worst humanitarian atrocities of the last 50 years. Chalk up the rape of Beirut, right next to the Palestinian Diaspora, and the massacres of Sabra and Shatila (again I will post on this third incident in depth soon, if you want to look it up on your own you should, it is Ariel "Bulldozer" Sharon's lifetime achievement.) Lebanon has been completely dismantled, despite the fact that the IDF is fully aware that the Lebanese government has no control over the actions Hezbollah committed. They have created a brand new Lebanese diaspora, displacing nearly 1 million people! All this because two IDF soldiers were kidnapped? All this, and Ehud Olmert and George W. Bush have the nerve to come on tv and say that there has not been an imbalanced use of force? Now Olmert and Bush say that this use of force is in self-defense of rocket attacks launched on Haifa. This is all said in full knowledge that IDF military officials were on television 12 days ago saying, "If one Israeli soldier is killed, we shall raze Beirut to the ground." They made good on their word, and now its time for the UN to make good on theirs. Force Israeli officials responsible for the brutality to submit to UN laws, force them to submit to the Geneva Convention. Israeli bombs have been dropped containing the phosphorous chemical, on civilian structures! The atrocities of Israel cannot continue if the Arab world is to ever trust the UN or the US. If George W. Bush wants to win the war on terror, this is how it will be done. Not with bombs but through an actual process of trust.

Thank you to CNN.com for the pictures provided, facts and news provided by CNN.com and BBC.co.uk.
The first picture is Beirut in 1970, the second picture is Beirut on July 24, 2006.