by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 6, 2006
All Rights Reserved.

wenty-seven days into the Lebanon war, Israel finds itself at loggerheads with Iranian-backed Hezbollah, truly a no-win situation. While Israel claims it's degrading Hezbollah's infrastructure, it's also clear the terrorist group remains deeply entrenched in Lebanon's southern population centers. Hezbollah, like most terror groups, doesn't need much infrastructure, preferring to slip into the cracks of Lebanese society. Contrary to U.S. claims, it's also clear Hezbollah, while identified as a rogue terror organization, is actually an integrated and interrelated part of Lebanon, with 14 seats in parliament and supported by a majority of lawmakers, including Lebanon's pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud. Even Lebanon's pro-Western Prime Minister Fouad Siniora hasn't denounced Hezbollah, threatening to use the Lebanese army to support the 24-year-old Iranian and Syrian-sponsored terror group.

      Hezbollah continues to pound Israel's northern territories with a variety of Iranian and homemade rockets. Firing 400 rockets over the weekend, demonstrates that all of Israel's firepower isn't enough to neutralize Hezbollah's arsenal estimated 15,000 rockets. While limited in accuracy, the volume missiles caused a direct hit a communal farm of Kfar Giladi, killing 12 soldiers preparing to deploy to Lebanon. Israel's conventional army has hit a brick wall trying to neutralize Hezbollah's embedded guerrilla army. Hezbollah's use of Russian Metis-M and Iranian BLU-108 anti-tank weapons are responsible for the bulk of Israel's military deaths. Feverishly working to broker a ceasefire, Hezbollah rejected a U.S.-French proposal, viewing the deal as favoring Israel. Hezbollah wants an immediate ceasefire and Israel out of southern Lebanon before talking truce.

      President George W. Bush resisted calls for an immediate ceasefire, allowing Israel to fight a proxy war to pay back an old enemy responsible for the 1983 bombing of the U.S. embassy and marine barracks in Beirut. White House and French diplomats hammered out details of a truce to be debated in the U.N. Security Council this week. Meanwhile, Hezbollah continues to pelt Israel with Katyusha rockets, demonstrating the impossible task of neutralizing the terrorist group's mobile missile launchers. Israel has had more tactical difficulty facing a deeply entrenched guerrilla force with more sophisticated anti-tank weapons, hitting Israel's fleet of heavily armed Merkava tanks, the workhorse of Israel's army. Whether admitted to or not, Israel's conventional army can't eradicate Hezbollah's determined guerrilla force, currently supported by Lebanon's government.

      Israel has been no match for Hezbollah's propaganda machine, driving world opinion against the Jewish state. Every Israeli strike gets adverse press, exaggerating civilian casualties. There's no way of telling how many of Lebanon's dead are guerrillas or civilian sympathizers feverishly fighting Israel. Highlighting civilian atrocities strips Israel of the moral high ground, handing Hezbollah a clear propaganda victory. When Israel bombed an apartment building in Qana July 30, the Red Cross counted nearly 64 dead, mostly woman and children. World press jumped all over the story blaming Israel for targeting civilians. Revised figures placed the count at 28, far lower than the initial total. Israel's Aug. 7 strike in the southern village of Houla had the Red Cross estimating 40 deaths, when the actual death toll was only one. Manipulating the press is a necessary part of the propaganda war.

      Lebanon promptly rejected the U.S. and French-brokered peace deal for failing to call for an immediate ceasefire, demanding Israeli forces leave Lebanon. Hezbollah's spiritual and military leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah also demands Israel release Lebanese prisoners and return Chebaa Farms, formerly a part of Syria, under Israeli control since 1967. Israel insists that it won't leave Lebanon until a credible multinational force can maintain a buffer zone in southern Lebanon. Nasrallah knows that if he overplays his hand, he'll wind up back in the remote Bekaa Valley, far removed from the political action. Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Beirut voted solidarity with Lebanon, demanding Israel end its occupation and meet its own conditions for a truce and peace deal. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem vowed Israel would never defeat Hezbollah.

      Taking their final shots before a brokered peace deal, both Israel and Hezbollah must accept reality that neither side can win. Continuing the conflict only destroys Lebanon's infrastructure, creating a growing humanitarian crisis. Neither Hezbollah nor Israel seems concerned about the human toll of their useless feud. Nor can the U.S. expect Israel of fight a proxy war to pay back Hezbollah for past atrocities or keep Tehran from projecting more power in the region. U.S. foreign policy must address directly any national security threat posed by Iran's refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment activities. If the U.N. can't restrain Iran, then the U.S. must act unilaterally in defense of national security. Both Hezbollah and Israel have wreaked enough damage and are getting nowhere. It's time to find a face-saving way out for all parties and stop the bloodshed.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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