How do we solve the Middle East Crisis?

For weeks the IDF has been engaged in a furious strikes on Hezbollah bases in Southern Lebanon. Despite the intense battle, the IDF and Hezbollah seem be committed to another several weeks of fighting. Ironic the incident that bigan as a rescue mission to bring back two Israel soldiers---has caused more death and suffering and the kidnapped soldiers are still missing.

Talks of some diplomatic solution have been heard and gone, today in Rome-participants agreed to disagree. In the foreseeable future there is no way out. The United States stands firm with her ally Israel, on the other side, the European, Asian and African countries prefer some form of cease fire to allow some diplomatic track to take hold.


Both these diplomatic strategies have drawbacks, first, the United States hopes in a few weeks the Jewish state will be able to defeat Hezbollah, thus making possible for the proposed international force to take over its responsibilties. In theory, the US strategy looks good, however, it is possible that the conflict will take longer than anticipated by both US and IDF. God forbid--is this happens our troops could be drawn into this conflict help defeat Hezbollah or to lead the so-called multi-national force. Consequently, the Arab streets will be hijacked by extremist eager to show Western ruthlessness and bias in dealing with Arabs and muslims in particular.

The other strategy promoted by the UN and other countries call for a cease-fire before any long term solutions could be worked out. The problem with this approach is that the Jewish state and the US both are opposed to such a design as nothing but a ploy to prolong and weaken international attention on Hezbollah. If this strategy succeeds however, the innocent victims of war could be reduced and the demage inflicted on Lebanese social and economic infrustructure stopped. Yet in the long-run, the Hezbollah threat would not be decisively reduced by this plan, a prelude to another confrotation.


Overall, the US-Israel plan has better prospects for peace and long-time benefits. The other alternative, is important temporarily to halting fighting, but leaves serious issues unresolved.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE

We need to give the IDF's sufficient but limited opportunity to destory the Hezbollah. In the meantime, the UN and the rest of the world should be resolving issues associated with organizing the peace enfocement force. The force to be effective would need to disarm-forcefully if necessary the remaining pockets of terrorist, supervise shipments entering Lebanon thru Syria and other areas, train and empower Lebanese forces for future border patrol responsibilties and engage combat ready games to all possible contigencies.

Diplomatically, the terrorist threat posed by Iran and Syria need to be addressed promptly at the UN and other bilateral arragements (mainly be EU. Ideally, several instruments must be utilized, for example sanction and threat of military force.

In short, the problem possed by Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations in the region represent a global confrotation between the West and Islamic radicalism. Therefore, we can only arrest this trend if the world led by the West, Allies and moderate Arab governments come together, as a single--coherent bloc determined to vaquish and bankrupt terrorist-rogue-network states such as Iran and Syria.