Posted by
Soldier Dad on Friday, July 21, 2006 12:52:54 PM
Since the current conflict in the Middle East is ostensibly between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon appears to be getting the short end of a lot of sticks. Its territory has been hijacked by a quasi-autonomous terrorist group that answers primarily to foreign governments. Now it's getting pummeled by an angry Israeli military, suffering heavy damage to many targets that have little to do with Hezbollah and experiencing numerous civilian casualties.
But the problem is that Lebanon is no innocent bystander in this instance. It had two viable choices when the war began. It could have sided with Israel, sending what portions of its military that would be willing to go (i.e., not the part still loyal to Syria) to help pin Hezbollah between a military on its front and its back. Or it could have openly sided with Hezbollah, expressed the outrage of an invaded country, and fought back against Israeli incursions.
Yet it did neither. Perhaps it is trying to hide behind a facade of incompetence - perhaps that incompetence is real - but it is offering de facto support to Hezbollah by refusing to fight it. Lebanon may not have wanted a war, but it got one and by refusing to take sides, it may as well be standing shoulder to shoulder with the fundamentalist aims of a terrorist group. Lebanon may have begun as a victim, but is now a major part of the problem.