July 18, 2006

Captain Ed on Israeli Terms

Captain Ed on Israel's ceasefire terms:

The Lebanese Army could not take Southern Lebanon away from Hezbollah without disarming them. After all, the only reason Hezbollah has for retaining its arms is its argument that it alone can stand as a bulwark against the Israelis. That argument seems to be loser at the moment, of course, but it's the only logical rationalization that the group has.

If Lebanon moved Hezbollah away from the border, the group's political support would collapse. They would either have to take Beirut to keep alive, or they would find themselves driven out of Lebanese politics altogether. As it is, the Israeli butt-kicking coming from their unilateral provocation will likely cause heavy political damage anyway.

Armed terrorists do not willingly give up their weapons, especially not in a losing cause. The Lebanese Army does not have the muscle to disarm them. Therefore, the Israeli conditions cannot be met -- and they are the bare minimum that Israel can accept for the sake of its own security. The war will continue until Israel cuts off and crushes Hezbollah and finishes them as a provocative "military" force.

We can certainly hope so. In the meantime, the rest of the world should watch and learn how best to negotiate with bloodthirsty Islamic thugs like Nasrallah. The thugs understand only one tongue, and it is best to speak loudly if one wishes to be understood.

By Ragnar Danneskjold, Typical Bitter Gun-Clinger at 01:02 AM | |