Condi’s Plan for a Ceasefire
July 25th, 2006Israel is “ruling out a rapid truce” at the moment while the United States is looking at forging one. The American goal, at the moment, is said to be a cease-fire consisting of an International NATO Force patrol, Lebanese control of southern Lebanon, and a prisoner exchange-that-isn’t. Overall, I approve of the plan, but I am disheartened to read that the government has yet to approve a prisoner exchange-that-is. You see, the US wants Hezbollah to give up the prisoners it captured, but has yet to say that it’ll ask Israel to trade a prisoner or two for their men. Guns and bombs simply don’t have the leverage necessary to force Hezbollah’s hand: a couple of captured men do.
Otherwise, it makes sense that Lebanon should control Lebanon (it is a Democracy, after all, and is entitled to its sovereignty), although I’m not sure that Lebanese troops couldn’t do the job of keeping the peace better than NATO. If we needed to maintain our country’s security, I’d prefer American troops than Canadian marines, wouldn’t you? I’ll bet the Lebanese feel the same way.