August 21, 2006
Hezbollah says it won’t leave southern Lebanon and it is already rebuilding, thanks to money from Iran. It is styling itself as the savior of the Lebanese people. Secretary of State Rice wrote a column in the Washington Post last week praising the ceasefire agreement and claiming 15,000 peace keeping troops will go to southern Lebanon under the umbrella of the UN.
But that may not be true. Some countries have expressed reluctance to send troops to such an area. And Hezbollah says it has no intention of disarming as required by a UN resolution.
Israel is going through political repercussions. Many are blaming Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his top generals for failing to understand the level of the threat from Hezbollah.
When one goes to war, the objective must be victory, not a ceasefire and negotiations. Hezbollah is claiming victory over the mighty Israeli army and is gaining credibility and crazed followers all over the Middle East. How many people understand the depth of this problem and how many have the will to fight it and win?
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
