[Washington Institute for Near East Policy] Michael Eisenstadt - The mandate, terms of reference, rules of engagement, composition, and leadership of an international stabilization force for Lebanon should be carefully weighed, for past peacekeeping and peace enforcement experiences and the Lebanese operational environment provide more than ample reason to believe that this will be a high-risk mission that will pose major challenges for the force. Much will also depend on how the current crisis ends, and on the strategy that Hizballah adopts in its aftermath. It is vital that the international community bring maximum pressure to bear on Hizballah to disarm, and warn both Hizballah and its Iranian patrons that attacks on a stabilization force could have grave consequences for both. The writer is a senior fellow and director of security studies at the Washington Institute.
2006-07-25 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive