by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright July 31, 2006
All Rights Reserved.

riving a hard bargain, President George W. Bush refused to cave in to international pressure for an immediate ceasefire in Israel's war against Hezbollah. Twenty-days into the conflict, it's still unclear what role Hezbollah plays in Lebanon's society or government, for that matter. Lebanon's President Emile Lahoud expressed unequivocal support for Hezbollah inside the government, where the group, branded by Western powers as a terrorist organization, occupies 12 parliament seats. Lebanon's pro-Western Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has refused to openly condemn Hezbollah as a rogue state currently hijacking Lebanon's southern territory. Bush sees Iranian-backed Hezbollah as diverting attention away from Iran's nuclear ambitions and subverting the Middle East peace process, where the White House promotes its pro-democracy foreign policy.

      Since the war began Sept. 12, started by Hezbollah's border raid capturing two Israeli soldiers and killing eight, the U.N. has repeatedly emphasized Israel's collateral damage, especially the July 26 hit on a U.N. observer post killing four and the July 29 apartment building in Qana, killing 56, mostly women an children. Foreign and domestic press don't blame Hezbollah for using civilians as human shields, imbedding itself inside the population. While Hezbollah has been characterized as a rogue group inside Lebanon, there's growing evidence that it's supported by the government and local population. President Lahoud's public approval of Hezbollah's actions and the “civilian” population's support of its war with Israel indicates that Hezbollah is an integrated and interrelated part of Lebanon. Promoting Hezbollah as an independent terrorist group denies Lebanon's involvement.

      Bush refuses to cow to international pressure for an immediate ceasefire. Leaving Hezbollah intact papers over Iran's role in sabotaging the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and destabilizing Iraq's fledgling democracy. Iran faces U.N. Security Council sanctions for its insistence on enriching uranium, which Western powers believe is for the purpose of building A-bombs. Resisting an immediate ceasefire and permitting Israel to continue degrading Hezbollah allows the U.S. to fight a proxy war with Iran without U.N. sanctions. Iran, above all else, seeks nuclear weapons to neutralize U.S. power. Iran's radical President Mahmoud Ahdminejad promised to respond by Aug 22 to the Security Council's proposal demanding it stop enriching uranium. Keeping pressure on Iran's surrogate, Hezbollah, gives the U.S. a stronger bargaining position as Tehran calculates its nuclear options.

      U.S. foreign policy is frequently at odds with the U.N. Today's Lebanon standoff clearly shows how the U.N. would leave Hezbollah intact and return the region to the status quo. “Iran must end its financial support and supply of weapons to terrorist groups like Hezbollah. Syria must end its support for terror and respect the sovereignty of Lebanon,” Bush said in a speech at the Port of Miami, blaming Iran and Syria for fueling the Mideast crisis. Bush knows he faces an uphill battle in the U.N. Security Council halting Iran's nuclear ambitions. Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's Premier Wen Jiabao oppose U.N. sanctions, especially military force, to stop Iran's enrichment activities. Iran's Ayatollah Ali Kamenei has made it clear Iran will not surrender its rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to complete the nuclear fuel cycle and enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.

      Both the U.S. and Lebanon are now caught in the same inconsistency denying accountability in the present war. Lebanon wants to avoid blame for the war that it conveniently pins on Hezbollah. Bush insists that Hezbollah is an independent, Iranian-backed terror organization that hijacked southern Lebanon, allowing Israel to fight a proxy war with intent of degrading Iran's influence in the Middle East. Bush's reluctance for an immediate ceasefire stems from the necessity of weakening Iran's power. Tehran supports Iraq's Shiite insurgents, especially radical cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, fighting U.S. occupation and threatening to plunge Iraq into unending civil war. Since Iran sacked the U.S. embassy in Tehran taking hostages in 1979 and Hezbollah blew up the U.S. embassy and Marine barracks in 1983, the U.S has been unofficially at war with both parties.

      Blaming Israel for horrific civilian casualties is the latest excuse to end hostilities and preserve Iran and Hezbollah's status quo. Expressing “extreme shock and distress” over civilian casualties, the U.N. seeks to impose a premature ceasefire before Iran and Hezbollah lose their grip in the region. No one likes collateral damage but the U.N. must equally condemn Hezbollah for using Lebanon's civilians as human shields to attack Israel. Lebanon must make clear where it stands. If President Lahoud speaks for the country, it's clear Hezbollah is an integrated and interrelated part of the Lebanon. If that's true, then Prime Minister Siniora must take responsibility for the current war, forcing his people to pay a heavy price. Looking for “long-lasting peace,” Bush won't back a ceasefire until the U.N. deals with Tehran's role in destabilizing the Middle East and perpetuating terrorism.

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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