Israel Warns Of Renewed Offensive
The Jerusalem Post is reporting that Israel is strongly warning that Hezbollah's refusal to disarm will be likely to bring about renewed hostilities. They are also extremely unhappy with Kofi Annan. (I have been quite sure Mr. Annan is anti-Israeli for quite some time now).
The IDF will have to resume operations in Lebanon if the expanded United Nations force being assembled does not fulfill its obligation to dismantle Hizbullah, an official in the Prime Minister's Office warned on Tuesday.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah reportedly reached a deal allowing Hizbullah to keep its weapons but refrain from exhibiting them in public. Israeli officials called the arrangement a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which passed over the weekend and was approved on Sunday by the cabinet.
"The resolution is clear that Hizbullah needs to be removed from the border area, embargoed and dismantled," the official said. "If the resolution is not implemented, we will have to take action to prevent the rearming of Hizbullah. I don't think backtracking will serve any useful purpose. There has to be pressure on Hizbullah to disarm or there will have to be another round."
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is expected to raise the issue when she meets in New York on Wednesday with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Annan angered Israeli officials when he told Channel 2 on Tuesday that "dismantling Hizbullah is not the direct mandate of the UN," which could only help Lebanon disarm the organization. Annan upset officials further when he said that deploying international forces in Lebanon would take "weeks or months," and not days as expected.
Israeli officials said the IDF would not complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon until the international force was deployed – even if it took months – to prevent a vacuum in Lebanon that could endanger Israeli civilians. An official in the Prime Minister's Office accused Annan of having an anti-Israel agenda.
"He has been one-sided," the official said. "He tried to be even-handed in a situation that was clearly asymmetrical. When one side committed crimes against humanity and engaged in genocide and the other side defended itself, he cannot treat us in the same manner."
Annan rejected charges of bias, saying, "I have been very hard on Hizbullah and condemned Hizbullah for what it has done. I have condemned Israel for what I consider excessive use of force but it doesn't mean I am taking one side."
But treating a non-nation like Hezbollah as if it were an actual nation-state is not exactly a normal thing for the UN to do, either. At least until Annan's watch i the organization. I'd say this is not over yet now.
Other Links to this Post
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Flopping Aces — August 16, 2006 @ 12:46 am
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The Real Ugly American.com » Blog Archive » Hezbollah/Israeli war is far from over — August 16, 2006 @ 6:29 am
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bRight & Early » First Cup 08.16.06 — August 16, 2006 @ 7:00 am
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Sister Toldjah — August 16, 2006 @ 7:11 am
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The Right Nation — August 16, 2006 @ 10:30 am
