Lebanon, Hezbollah, Israel, Bombing, Ground Troops... What's Next?
If you read the paper this morning, the political pundits are screaming at each other across the pages from different camps. Yes, the bombing of Lebanon to force out the Hezbollah is good. No, the bombing is bad, it will harden the position of Islamic Extremists and the Hezbollah; pushing violence into other global regions.
Even the American President, George Bush, seems confused on what to do with spiraling violence in the Middle East, North Korean nuclear threat, and Iraq on his plate. It doesn't appear that a diplomatic solution spearheaded by the US is in the immediate future for the crisis in Lebanon. In fact, George Bush has even stated that he feels that Israel has the sovereign right to take the actions that they have -- bombing Lebanon. The world community even seems divided on who started the scuffle and now how to end it.
I am watching all of this and wondering why there is not outrage in the world community about the Hezbollah drawing Lebanon into war with Israel. Hezbollah, although strongly entrenched in Lebanon, is not the official mouth piece nor official military machine of Lebanon, yet they have been acting as such. Where is the outrage of the Lebanese people about Hezbollah acting on their behalf? By not taking a strong stand against the actions of Hezbollah, the Lebanese population appears to be giving tacit approval of their actions.
Iran states that it supported Hezbollah in the past but is not condoning their current actions nor are they funding them. Yet why are the Israelis being pounded with weapons made in Iran? How could an extremist organization like Hezbollah have the hard currency needed to buy all these expensive weapons and carry on a national battle with out serious funding?
The crisis seems to be building without real answers from either camp. In fact, in a poll from Tuesday's Yedioth Aharonoth, an Israeli daily, 86% of those surveyed said the Israeli offensive was "the right thing to do", and 81% wanted it to continue. In Lebanon, Abbas Fattuni states for the Washington Post, "We're nothing without the resistance [Hezbollah]. When a Lebanese dies anywhere in the country, no one in the Arab world lifts a finger. Only the resistance cares about them."
What do you think is the solution?
