No Farewell To Arms

In case you had any doubt as to who won the war between Israel and Hezbollah (and even to call it a war between a state and a terrorist organization should leave no doubts):

A compromise agreement now being hammered out between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government would allow the Shi'ite guerillas to keep hidden weapons in south Lebanon, the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper reported on Tuesday.

While Hezbollah would need to keep the weapons it possesses south of the Litani River hidden, an agreement for areas north of the river would be "left to a long term solution," the paper reported.

If the proposed compromise is accepted Tuesday by the Lebanese government, it would violate the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 ending the war in Lebanon. The resolution rules that the Lebanese army and UNIFIL may be the only armed forces in the territory between the Litani River south to the Israeli border.

This deal with Hezbollah--presumably made in the fear that Hezbollah might take over all of Lebanon--will allow Hezbollah to keep rocket launchers in people's backyards for the next go-round with Israel.

And it's also a veiled threat to the Lebanese government itself. There will never be an agreement to keep hidden weapons out of northern Lebanon. The only long term solution acceptable to Hezbollah, and to its Iranian and Syrian backers, is for Hezbollah to take over all of Lebanon.

Which will give it an even stronger base for the next war with Israel.

The UN wanted this ceasefire. Let the UN enforce it!

Source: Haaretz