By:Tashbih Sayyed, Ph. D.
Another sheet of paper has been added to a pile gathering dust in the United Nations; the UN Security Council approved a new resolution 1701 that calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. It authorized an enhanced UNIFIL force to clear a buffer zone from Israel's northern border to the Litani River and called for an embargo on rearming Hezbollah. It also called for the deployment of the Lebanese army, with the assistance of UNIFIL, on the border with Syria to keep Hezbollah from being rearmed.
The resolution is exactly what the doctor prescribed. But can it be administered? Can Hezbollah be removed from south of the Litani River and the sovereignty of the Lebanese government be extended to all parts of the Lebanese territory? Can a major international force be allowed inside to insure that Hezbollah is not rearmed again?
The world, which has seen the fate of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, is not very optimistic. Resolution 1559 reaffirmed the call on September 2, 2004, for the strict respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political independence of Lebanon under the sole and exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon throughout the country, but could not make it happen. It called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanese territory and the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, but was unable to enforce it.
Foreign powers like Iran and Syria remained formidable political, financial, and military influences in the country, stifling Lebanon's sovereignty. By keeping Lebanon a hostage, Tehran and Damascus continued to use its territory to wage a war of attrition against Israel. Iran, driven by its imperialistic ambitions, established its military base right at the door steps of Israel with the help of its proxy, Hezbollah.
Hezbollah also helped Iran maintain its military control over southern Lebanon and Tehran empowered the terrorist group to reject the call for disarmament by insisting that it is not an armed militia but a resistance movement. Some Lebanese officials and opposition members, such as Socialist Progressive Party Chairman Walid Jumblatt, also helped the terrorists by arguing that Hezbollah's weapons protect Lebanon from Israeli aggression, and that any debate on disarmament must be strictly Lebanese, not the result of external pressure or intervention.
The situation today is not any better than in 2004. In fact, today Hezbollah has many more reasons to be more defiant. It is riding a crest of perceived victory against Israel. It has been successful in creating the perception that Israel is not that invincible - a perception that empowers the Islamic fascists all over the world a great deal. That's why the whole Muslim world is solidly behind this new face of jihad. And that's why it will be much more difficult to enforce the Resolution 1701.
There is another reason for the pessimism. There is no agency in Lebanon that either has the will or the authority to even try to disarm Hezbollah. Iran and Syria have seen to that effect. They understood long ago that sooner or later there will be efforts on the line of Resolution 1559 to neutralize their proxy in the region and they prepared Hezbollah to face the eventuality.
Hezbollah achieved its goal by making itself indispensable for the poor and disenfranchised. It not only did its best to win the hearts and minds of the Lebanese masses, but it also worked very hard to build bridges with the other sectors of Lebanese society - Maronite Christians, Sunnis, and Amaal rivals. It built an extensive network of social services. By providing health services, jobs, and educational facilities to the downtrodden, it made sure that in any future democratic government, it wil face no obstacles in reaching the highest echelons of political and military power.
Hezbollah was so successful in its efforts to win the masses on its side that it practically became the warp and woof of the Lebanese fabric. It was accepted in its totality by a large section of the Lebanese people - as a resistance movement, a political party, and a welfare organization. It is not that the whole nation of Lebanon is with Hezbollah. But to challenge Hezbollah's power, one has to be prepared to push the nation into another bloody civil war which will be much more barbaric than the previous one - a risk that nobody wants to take.
Now Hezbollah is fully equipped to influence, control and direct the course of any future democratic process in the country. It has assured itself a significant presence in all the political, military, and civil institutions of the state. This is the reality that has not been considered by the international community while imposing the ceasefire on Israel.
The international community failed to realize that today Lebanon is a Hezbollah country. Whichever sector of Lebanese society is given the job of replacing Hezbollah, it will be Hezbollah that will be in charge in the end. For instance, when as a result of Resolution 1701, a buffer zone from Israel's northern border to the Litani River will be created, the Lebanese military in the zone will have large numbers of Hezbollah holy warriors within its ranks.
When an embargo on rearming the militia is imposed, the Hezbollah presence in the government will itself order the supply of needed weapons for the terrorist organization. And in its finality, that day is not far off when Hezbollah may have a majority even in the Lebanese Parliament.
The international community has to accept that it is a very different world today. Terrorist networks like Hezbollah have learned to use the power of the people by becoming a part of them. By hiding behind the common man, they can be everywhere. By employing asymmetrical methods of warfare, they can frustrate any power.
By using this tactic, Hezbollah has acquired an invisible presence in the Lebanese government, military, and civilian infrastructure. It is another face of Islamic fascism that has found a number of unconventional ways to wage its "holy war". It can't be beaten from within, at least for now.
Only Israel, long being a victim of its terror, recognizes its face, understands its ethos, and has the will to defeat it. Only Jerusalem can fight it effectively. The international community owes it to itself not to stop Israel from taking this war to its logical conclusion - the total destruction of Hezbollah which will be the first step toward the elimination of Islamic fascism.
(Tashbih Sayyed is the Editor in Chief of Pakistan Today and The Muslim World Today, President of Council for Democracy and Tolerance, an adjunct fellow of Hudson Institute, and a regular columnist for newspapers across the world.)
