Monday, July 31, 2006

A Failure of Leadership

Watching the appalling scenes of dead children being pulled from the rubble of buildings as a result of the Hezbollah (southern-Lebanese) - Israeli conflict most more enlightened (and civilized) individuals must wonder what the leaders of Lebanon parties have going on in their perhaps underdeveloped, anti modern-world brains. Watching all the posturing I am reminded of an old saying that goes something along the lines that ‘the people always (only) get the politicians (leaders) they deserve’. For that matter what are the people that allow these anti-social agents doing to curb the development and spread of their ‘Dark Age’ tribal agendas? Why aren’t they out in the streets as they were when they wanted to remove Syria from their soil?

Two leaders: one guilty of crimes against humanity and the other of criminal neglect!

Hezbollah is led by a less than savoury character named Hassan Nasrallah whose most recent contribution to the Middle East (and the world) has been to start the conflict and to ensure that it continues, in spite of the growing number innocents that he sacrifices. This attitude of let them die was forshadowed when according to news reports, ‘Nasrallah on May 23rd appeared on Al-Manar TV to explain that "our nation's willingness to sacrifice their blood, souls, children, fathers, and families" is an advantage over the Jews "who guard their lives." Well he has certainly allowed that to happen. It is worth noting R. H. Schultz Jr. & Andrea J. Drew in their book “Insurgents Terrorists and Militias” explain that in ‘clan warfare’ the combatants are fighting for honour, glory, revenge, vendetta or vengeance and that the sacrifice of innocents (acts such beheadings) are an acceptable part of conflict. This leader has aptly demonstrated this fact and as the Robert Caplan review of the book in the WSJ of July 28th says; “the danger of the 21st century is states whose leaders may simply like to fight rather than negotiate” This Hezbollah leader by his words and actions obviously proves this point.

How about Fuoad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister, what a disappointment this guy is, just stands back and does nothing, then when he thinks the hot war soaked breeze of calamity is blowing his way praises Hezbollah for shedding their blood for Lebanon. This is a man so devoid of commitment to his people and the rest of the world that he ignored the January 28, 2005 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1583 that called on Lenanon to assert full control over its border with Israel. Now after the outrage over Qana the press report that Siniora emphasized that Lebanon won't take part in negotiations between Israel and Hizbullah "until the Israeli war machine stops spilling the blood of innocents." Among other things, the Lebanese government has supposedly ‘committed itself to the deployment of its army across all of Lebanon including the south and the applying of a law according to which only the Lebanese army can carry weapons across the whole of the country’. Why wasn’t this law enforced before now? His latest word according to the Wall Street Journal of July 31st is… “There is no place this sad morning for any discussion other than an immediate and unconditional cease fire, as well as an international investigation into the Israeli massacres in Lebanon now”.

What a crock of crap, now is not only the time to talk, it is very much the time for the Lebanese army to take control of the country’s security as they should have been directed to do by their ineffectual leader over a year ago.

Dear Mr Siniora for the sake of your citizens and the rest of the civilized world… and particularly for the children of your country please do the following:

Take control of your nation, enact (and/or enforce) a law that forbids anyone other than the national military from carrying weapons and use the same military to secure your borders to ensure Syria and Iran cannot covertly slip arms into your country. While you’re at it disband and outlaw Hezbollah in Lebanon, publicly acknowledge the right of Israel to exist and encourage your populace to come to grips with the fact that Israel is neighbour that is there to stay. If you then get thrown out of office we all unhappily watch the demise of your country that will likely result. If the foolishness of its Lebanon’s general population under the guidance of its ‘Dark Age’ power brokers and clansmen is the way things must be in the rest of your country as well as the south then one must question your future as a civilized nation.

www.caliibre.com

Refs:
http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=8&x_nameinnews=158&x_article=1158
(MEMRI: Al-Manar TV on May 23, 2006.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_1583
The Wall Street Journal (Asia) July 28-30 & July 31

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