[Washington Post] Editorial - The cease-fire resolution approved by the Security Council emphasizes the need not only to end the violence but also "to address urgently the causes that have given rise to the current crisis." The chief cause was Hizballah, a radical Islamist force that has maintained a sophisticated army beyond the control of Lebanon's government. Hizballah's leader, while saying he accepted the resolution, vowed to continue attacking Israeli forces in Lebanon. The resolution doesn't explicitly authorize the international force to disarm Hizballah but it does authorize it "to take all necessary action" to ensure that southern Lebanon can no longer be used as a base for attacks against Israel. Hizballah may calculate that it can accept and ignore the terms - that no Lebanese army or international force will dare prevent its rearmament and its return to the Israeli border. If so, it will be up to Lebanon's government, the UN, and the European nations expected to supply troops to prove the militia wrong.
2006-08-14 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive