GRASPING DEFEAT FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY...

David Horowitz reflects many of my own deep concerns in this excellent article written over on Frontpage...

First, he spells out what is going to happen in Lebanon in the weeks ahead...

The appeasers of Islamofascism, who have been calling for a ceasefire and bewailing “civilian casualties” in Lebanon and Gaza, will succeed. Hezbollah will agree to turn over its arms to the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese army. The pro-Hezbollah UN will establish a security zone on Lebanon’s southern border to keep the area clear of non-government militias, of which the Hezbollah “militia” is the only one. The credulous in the Western camp will greet this as a victory for the peacemakers. But exactly the opposite will be the case.

According to a recent poll in Lebanon eighty percent of the Lebanese Arabs support Hezbollah. In other words, just as Hamas, which was created by the same Muslim Brotherhood that spawned al-Qaeda, is now the Palestinian government, so Hezbollah will emerge as the government of Lebanon. The Lebanese army will become the new Hezbollah “militia.” Only it won’t be a militia. It will be the terrorist army of a sovereign power, with the right to openly negotiate its arms deals with Syria and Iran.

But that's just one part of it. It gets worse...

Those who in the midst of these wars clamor for ceasefires with an implacable foe, those who call for withdrawals that would leave sovereign states in the hands of the terrorist forces, those who decry civilian casualties caused by the only forces in this war who do not target civilians, those Blame-America-Firsters who exploit the Abu Ghraibs on our side and not their atrocities, those whose hysterical fear of the conflict we face takes the form of pathological denial and projects the rabid hatred of the enemy for us onto our own commander in the war, are destined to have a lot to answer for before this conflict is over.

Espeically if we lose, and the ceasefire now being negotiated is the next step down the road to our defeat by the Jihadists - even whilst we have the capability of beating them. We're going to seize defeat from the jaw of victory - and it will be done under the flag of the UN and in the name of peace. Thus the road to hell is paved with UN resolutions and good intentions.

Comments

[daytripper]

keep the area clear of non-government militias, of which the Hezbollah “militia” is the only one.

thats misleading. the DFF/SLA did not disarm either. UNFIL claim this was a big factor in preventing their gaining soveriegn control over south lebanon.

[David Vance]

Took 18 years to work that one out, eh?

[Christopher Stalford]

The time to bring Netanyahu into the government has surely come.

[Anabel]

Interesting observation from Asher Moaz.

"At Wednesday's Rome summit on the situation in Lebanon, Siniora again appealed for a ceasefire and a peace deal with Israel. This is rather simple. On May 17, 1983, a peace treaty known as the Khaldeh agreement was signed between the governments of Israel and Lebanon. But in contravention of its provisions, and due to Syrian opposition, the Lebanese parliament failed to ratify the agreement. Instead, the Taif accord was ratified, expressing Lebanese consent to the use of its territory by fighters against Israel.

All Siniora has to do is to renounce the Taif accord and submit the Khaldeh peace agreement to parliament for ratification. "
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19933090-601,00.html

daytripper

On 16 June 2000, the Secretary General reported to the Security Council that in accordance with resolution 425 Israel had withdrawn its forces from Lebanon and the DFF/SLA had been dismantled.

The UNIFIL reports agree with the SG.

[David Vance]

Chris,

It would help - he is as good as it gets out there - their version of the Doc!

[Christopher Stalford]

DV

I'm sure the Doc would appreciate the comparison!

[NRG]

Hezbollah is not your usual gang terrorist thugs, it close to being a standing army, financed by Iran and Syria situated in third country, as its purpose is the destruction of Israel.

I have sympathy of the people of Lebanon, their country is not able to stand up to Syria and Iran and so they have this terrorist army thrust upon them. And in their midst so that innocents would act as unwitting human shields and propaganda victims.

Hezbollah's offensive rocket attacks looked like a softening up before some sort of offensive push, and given the strength of resistance, it would seem that they were very ready for combat. I don't see Israel had any choice but accept Hezbollah's invitation - they just got to the party a little bit earlier than the hosts expected.

A ceasefire, of the sort the Liberals are whinging about, would only give Hezbollah the opportunity to regroup.

[daytripper]

On 16 June 2000, the Secretary General reported to the Security Council that in accordance with resolution 425 Israel had withdrawn its forces from Lebanon and the DFF/SLA had been dismantled.

thank you anabel.

Hezbollah's offensive rocket attacks looked like a softening up before some sort of offensive push, and given the strength of resistance

i dont think they were anything but (inexcusable) retaliatory strikes. katyushas need to be used by their thousands simultaneously for "softening up". plus there is no use in softening up civilian targets. yould have a point if the were targeting frontline israeli positions.

[Justin]

The pro-hezbollah army? HAHA!! What a laugh, Horowitz is apparently not aware that the Lebanese army is conscripts from all confessions. Are there Hezbollah sympathizers in the army, sure probably, because some of the small army is Shi'ite. But if he is trying to claim that Christians, Sunnis, Druze, and Armenians in the army are pro-Hezbollah, then he is just showing his ignorance. The Lebanese Army is a non factor. The Syrian state made sure of that in the way it dominated Lebanese society the past 15 years. How is the Lebanese Army going to do anything Israel wants now that some of its bases have been bombed. Hezbollah has a stranglehold on the south.

[Justin]

80% of Lebanese do not support Hezbollah!! There is no way half of the Christian community supports Hezbollah. Far fewer Christians than that support Emile Lahoud, who while he may be confessionallly Maronite, enjoys little support from any Christians who are not in the Syrian pocket (which is just certain families like the Murr Family, and maybe Karim Prakdouni, the leader of the sell out version of the Lebanese Forces). I doubt Samir Geagea, Etienne Saqr, and Antoine Lahad partisans support a force the fought against. Even Michel Aoun has faced tons of dissent within his Fre Patriotic Movement for trying to face down Hezbollah through politics. Whoever wrote this is probably just taking Hezbollah press releases at face value, which is stupid and shameful. They do not deserve that legitimacy.

[andy]

Justin
Do you reckon the past few weeks will have raised or decreased Hizbollah's popularity among Christians?
I presume initially it would have decreased it, but then maybe it would have increased it as the Israeli campaign continued.

[Justin]

I've heard mixed things from people I know in Lebanon. I mean you have groups like the Lebanese Forces which are very anti-Muslim and would never support Hezbollah. Because many people are angry at Israel for the scale of the attack, there might be some incidental support for Hezbollah. I mean it's like Hezbollah is threatening to turn Lebanon into an Islamic republic, they simply exert influence in their areas. But Nasrallah has vowed not to turn his guns on Lebanese of other confessions, and he couldn't take christian strongholds like Jounieh or East Beirut if he wanted to. I think the short term Hezbollah might get some legitimacy due to anti-Israeli anger, but their long term goals will not be supported by non shi'ites.

[andy]

Justin
Thanks again. Sorry for the twenty questions....