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U.S. to Avoid Confrontation with Hizballah in Lebanon
(Los Angeles Times) Tyler Marshall - The Bush administration has decided to avoid any immediate confrontation with the Iran-backed Islamic militant group Hizballah in the wake of this week's departure of Syrian forces from Lebanon, according to senior U.S. officials. Disarming the group's large militia, along with those of others in the troubled country, is a key part of a UN resolution that the U.S. co-sponsored last year to end foreign meddling in Lebanon. Those familiar with the country's politics note that any immediate American demand on Hizballah to disarm its militia prior to the upcoming elections could backfire. "Given the fact that America is not the flavor of the month there, it could enhance Hizballah's chances at the polls," said Edward Walker, a former U.S. ambassador to Egypt and Israel and currently head of the Washington-based Middle East Institute.