[Washington Institute for Near East Policy] Michael Singh - Two years after the 2006 Israel-Hizbullah war, arms continue to flow, Hizbullah has rebuilt and enhanced its military strength, Lebanon remains fractured by violent political divisions, and tensions between Iran and Israel have increased. At the same time, the need for full and effective enforcement of UN Resolution 1701 which ended that war remains urgent. It is critical to stop the flow of arms to the militias that hold Lebanon hostage. Any further European moves to revive EU-Syria relations should stipulate that Damascus cooperate in ending the flow of arms into Lebanon. The EU should also emulate the British government's recent designation of Hizbullah as a terrorist organization. In addition, the international community and Lebanon's regional partners should take meaningful action to secure the Lebanese-Syrian border, or Lebanese Prime Minister Siniora should charge UNIFIL with that mission under the authority provided him by Resolution 1701. The writer is former senior director for Middle East affairs at the National Security Council.
2008-10-23 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive