Calls for a multinational force to intervene in Lebanon are growing stronger after UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan first proposed it. The international community wants to bring this senseless slaughter to a rapid end, but there are many difficulties in the way of any such maneuver.
An immediate problem is how multinational peacemakers could be deployed effectively. The existing UNIFIL force on the border was only ever configured to monitor rather than prevent ground incursions, but thus far there has been no physical re-invasion of the Lebanon by the Israelis. Instead Israeli warplanes and Hezbollah rockets have been passing above the UN troops.
It has been suggested that if a new multinational presence did arrive, one part of its duties would be to patrol the border area from where Hezbollah has been launching missiles. What such troops would do if they found a Hezbollah rocket position is unclear. Equally Hezbollah could perhaps start firing longer-range rockets from further inside Lebanon. And what of UN intervention against Israeli warplanes? Is there to be a no-fly zone enforced by other air forces flying under UN auspices. In the event of a violation, would the UN force shoot down an Israeli plane?
The harsh truth is that no multinational force is going to be possible until the fighting has stopped, and that moment is largely in the hands of the Israelis. When they have not been destroying Lebanese infrastructure and civilians, the Israelis have been busy taking out Hezbollah missile launchers, which are hard to detect until they fire. But once they have loosed their rockets, US-supplied targeting technology makes it a relatively simple matter for the Israelis to take out the rocket launcher and, if they are still by the vehicle, the crew. Little by little the Israelis are diminishing Hezbollah’s missile offensive capability. Since suggestions from Washington are that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is not expected to visit the Middle East until Friday, it can probably be assumed that the Israelis want another four or five days to be free to run amok before a state visit by Israel’s most important backer seeks resolution. Meanwhile, Israel will make suitably hopeful noises to the UN peace team shuttling between Lebanon and Israel but agree to absolutely nothing that will require them to cease their onslaught. This whole disgraceful blood-letting is part of a game of smoke and mirrors, in which Washington has given Israel the green light to punish the Lebanese and the Palestinians for as long as the White House can keep the rest of the world off Israel’s case, as it exacts its pound of flesh from the luckless Lebanese.
None of the G-8 leaders saw fit to comment on a glaring flaw in Israelis’ behavior. They say they have destroyed Lebanese infrastructure to force the authorities in Beirut to act against Hezbollah. Why then have Israeli aircraft also repeatedly attacked Lebanese Army units and bases? If the Olmert government was serious in demanding Lebanon confront Hezbollah forces, then why are they destroying the very army that they want to lead this confrontation?
