By W. Thomas Smith Jr. ——Bio and Archives--August 8, 2008
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“Israel will hold Lebanon responsible for any attacks against Israel, in particular for any Hezbollah efforts to avenge the death of its military leader Imad Mughniyeh. This decision on Wednesday by the security cabinet represents a change in Israeli policy, after always firmly separating Hezbollah and the Lebanese government. “According to defense establishment recommendations adopted by the security cabinet, Israel will treat the Lebanese unity government, which is headed by Fouad Siniora and includes Hezbollah, as responsible for any event that takes place in its sovereign territory or events for which Lebanese nationals are responsible. … “Defense officials noted in the cabinet meeting that two developments supported a change in policy. The first is the fact Hezbollah is now a partner in a Lebanese unity government and holds veto rights. The second is that the guidelines of the new Lebanese government guidelines, approved by President Michel Suleiman, allow Hezbollah to continue its military activity against Israel. …”We certainly can’t blame the Lebanese people – the immediate victims in all of this – nor can we blame Israel for its new policy. One of our staunchest allies, Israel has been threatened with “death” and “annihilation” by both Hezbollah and Iran (Hezbollah’s primary benefactor). In fact, Israel’s position – based on a matter of survival – reminds me of a line by Jack Nicholson in the movie, Hoffa: “I’m gonna do what I gotta do.” What choice does the Jewish state have? After all – thanks to the powerful political concessions granted Hezbollah after they (and their murderous allies like Amal, fighters with the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, and others including, yes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) turned their weapons on the Lebanese government and innocent men, women, and children in May of this year – Hezbollah now has veto power over Lebanese government decisions, additional cabinet seats, permission to keep its previously covert telecommunications system operational, and so much more. Not to mention the fact that Hezbollah has military grade weapons staged all over the country. The possession of those weapons is not being challenged (which violates both United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701). Hezbollah’s deadly attacks on the Lebanese citizenry in May (and multiple lesser reported attacks since) were carried out with impunity. The United Nations Implementation Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has failed miserably in multiple particulars of its overall mandate to disarm groups like Hezbollah, keep ports open, and protect lives and property. As I mentioned previously, Hezbollah wants nothing less than the destruction of Israel. What else? It would require a multi-page feature or a book to detail. Suffice it to say that we in the West are as much to blame for allowing this to happen as anyone else. We sat back and allowed Hezbollah to usurp much of the the power of the legitimate Lebanese Army and national police forces – which we regularly provide tens-of-millions of dollars in military support to – and U.S. government officials even went so far as to praise the post-May-attacks (Doha) agreement which granted Hezbollah its new powers and has ultimately led to an environment in which we now see the Shiia Islamist terrorist-group, Hezbollah, being positioned as a “legitimate” arm of the Lebanese Defense apparatus. It’s as if despite our successes in Iraq, Afghanistan, various underreported successes in Africa and throughout the rest of the world, we are throwing our hands up in what I believe is one of the most critical fronts in the war on terror and simultaneously telling ourselves that all is well. I’m reminded of another movie line. This one by Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes: “It’s a mad house! A mad house!”
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W. Thomas Smith Jr.—a former U.S. Marine rifleman—is a military analyst and partner with NATIONAL DEFENSE CONSULTANTS, LLC. Visit him at <i>uswriter.com