Old Corps Gunny
08-05-2006, 02:42 PM
[font=Arial]A draft resolution proposing a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah is to go before the UN Security Council. It calls for "immediate cessation by Hezbollah of all attacks and immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations..." but gives Israel the right to respond if Hezbollah launches attacks against Israel. The resolution also calls for "an arms embargo to block any entity except the Lebanese government fro buying weapons...", a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon, the disarmament of Hezbollah (what happened to Resolution 1559?), and the establishment of a new UN peacekeeping force to "support the Lebanese armed forces and contribute to the implementation of a permanent cease-fire and a long-term solution." The two authors of this proposed resolution are the US and France.
While this proposal is laudable, it faces several challenges: both Israel and Hezbollah must be willing to accept and abide by the proposal's conditions, particularly the immediate cessation of hostilities; Syria and Iran must agree to quit providing arms to Hezbollah; and the UN peacekeeping force must have the authorization and teeth to enforce the proposal's mandates. I doubt that Hezbollah will be willing to cease its attacks against Israel until they are rendered incapable of launching attacks by force, whether by the Israeli military or the Lebanese government backed by UN forces. I also doubt that Syria or Iran will cease to provide suppport to Hezbollah, and can't see a way to force either country to desist.
While this proposal is laudable, it faces several challenges: both Israel and Hezbollah must be willing to accept and abide by the proposal's conditions, particularly the immediate cessation of hostilities; Syria and Iran must agree to quit providing arms to Hezbollah; and the UN peacekeeping force must have the authorization and teeth to enforce the proposal's mandates. I doubt that Hezbollah will be willing to cease its attacks against Israel until they are rendered incapable of launching attacks by force, whether by the Israeli military or the Lebanese government backed by UN forces. I also doubt that Syria or Iran will cease to provide suppport to Hezbollah, and can't see a way to force either country to desist.