Opinions | Columnists
US treachery and UN apathy
If sponsors of Resolution 1701 had been sincere, they would have ensured an immediate unconditional ceasefire. Being heavily weighted in Israel's favour, it does not stipulate the return of Lebanese prisoners nor resolve the Sheba'a Farms issue.
- By Linda S. Heard, Special to Gulf News
- Published: 23:34 May 3, 2009
- Image Credit: Illustration by Nino Jose Heredia/Gulf News
The next time the UN Security Council needs to come up with a resolution it should get in touch with me. My building's watchman and his streetwise pals from Upper Egypt could cobble together a far more effective ceasefire than that contained in Resolution 1701.
Besides being heavily weighted in Israel's favour, thanks to US machinations, it does not stipulate the return of Lebanese prisoners nor resolve the Sheba'a Farms issue. Thus, there is little incentive for Hezbollah to wave goodbye to its weapons and take up potato growing. Further, the vague way the resolution is drawn guarantees failure.
The Lebanese army, in partnership with a beefed-up Unifil, is mandated to take over the area between the Israeli border and the Litani River, but when? Estimates as to when a UN force can be deployed vary from 10 days to more than a month.
Israel, which currently has 30,000 troops north of the Blue Line, says it isn't going anywhere until the foreign cavalry arrives. Hezbollah says its fighters aren't going anywhere until the Israeli army departs. Stalemate!
Does anyone believe the two sides will while away those weeks organising friendly games of football or hanging out together over coffee and shisha? There are those who will say Hezbollah fighters must withdraw to the north, but I doubt such voices realise that almost the whole of south Lebanon supports Hezbollah.
Practically every family in the south has someone who is currently fighting. Is it realistic to expect thousands of men to leave their homes and loved ones to the mercy of Israel?
Unconditional
If the resolution's sponsors had been sincere, they would have ensured an immediate unconditional ceasefire with Israel pulling out its forces from Lebanon forthwith.
As things stand, the Israelis are now occupying south Lebanon with the UN's apparent blessing. At the same time, if Hezbollah retaliates it will be accused of violating Resolution 1701.
Any fool can see this scenario is a recipe for disaster except apparently UN Security Council members strong on mutual back-slapping but short on common sense.
The Lebanese government's eagerness to accept a ceasefire is understandable, but whereas the seven-point plan initially fielded by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora was feasible, Resolution 1701 is hardly worth the paper it's written on.
On Sunday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed to the parties to stop fighting immediately in keeping with the spirit of the truce. Sounds good, but as a backdrop to his plea, Israel was stepping up bombardments while its army was pushing its way north.
This schizoid escalation took place after the Israeli cabinet approved the ceasefire, which speaks volumes about the Israeli government's true intent.
It's clear that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is more interested in securing his tenure than preventing further loss of life and property.
Israelis are angry at his inability to produce a definitive win.
A poll in the Israeli daily Ha'aretz shows that only 46 per cent of Israelis support the way the war is being waged.
Top Israeli generals blame Olmert for dithering over launching a massive ground offensive.
US President George W. Bush is said to be furious that America's client state failed to finish the job.
If a report in the Guardian is true, no wonder! It quotes the award-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh as saying Israel and the US planned the bombing campaign months before Hezbollah abducted the two Israeli soldiers. According to Hersh's sources, the plan was drawn-up to "ease Israel's security concerns and also serve as a prelude to a potential American pre-emptive attack to destroy Iran's nuclear installations".
This explains Olmert's last minute desperation to come up with something that looks like a win, even if this means going on a mad llth-hour bombing spree and hiding Israeli casualty figures.
Cracks
At the time of writing, there are cracks within the Lebanese cabinet with some members keen to disarm Hezbollah and others reluctant to do so.
The Lebanese government must be careful how it treads from here on. Its army isn't capable of defending the country and Unifil does not have a mandate or the weapons to do so.
Hezbollah is the only deterrent. Lebanon has to prevent the Israelis from marching in again later on down the road and especially since the US plotted to ensure Lebanon's isolation from Syria.
In this case, the Lebanese government should work with Hezbollah rather than against it while rebuffing demands from the White House and its Lebanese emissaries to defang the militia.
What is stopping Hezbollah guerrillas from being subsumed into the Lebanese army? Together they could form an elite brigade of commandos or a unit on the lines of Britain's SAS.
Hezbollah could also be used to train the Lebanese military in asymmetric warfare that has become the talk of military academies around the world.
These are better alternatives than the cold-shouldering of Hezbollah, which could eventually lead to another civil war especially in light of the fact it is supported by 87 per cent of all Lebanese.
In essence, Lebanon has two choices: to legitimise Hezbollah's military wing under the umbrella of the Lebanese army or confront it.
Israel has two choices too: continue lashing out with its familiar hubris or realise that the only road to security is compromise and dialogue.
Linda S. Heard is a specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She can be contacted at lheard@gulfnews.com
Share this article
Popular in Opinions
-
Speak Your Mind
Focus: Halloween
Paranormal holds an insatiable appeal for our imagination, but do you believe in them
Opinion Editor's choice
-
Iraq in search of Plan B
Despite a close alliance with the US, the government in Baghdad has been unable to ensure national security
-
Dubai acts to boost trust in property sector
New judicial committee created to assist tenants who are facing financial difficulties
-
Recycling should be part of our routine
By simply sorting your waste, you are doing your bit to ensure a green future
