Oh where, oh where, did UNIFIL go....

Apparently, the Italians have decided to pony up and send 3,000 troops to fill the UNIFIL ranks in Lebanon reports Ha’aretz, but don’t get your hopes up that the Italians perceive the disarmament of Hezbollah as part of their mandate; in spite of two UN Resolutions to the contrary. Ha’aretz interviews the Italian Foreign Minister:

"This essentially depends on the Lebanese. If the government of Lebanon wants to, it is certainly possible, and we must encourage the government of Lebanon. We cannot act against the will of the Lebanese government. Hezbollah's disarmament is not only Israel's demand; it is also Lebanon's, because a democratic country cannot be sovereign if it does not have a monopoly over the army."

But what is really discouraging is this multi-facet approach the Italian Foreign Minister takes towards Hezbollah:

D'Alema disagrees with Israel's description of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization: "An organization that has 35 members of parliament and three ministers cannot be described solely as a terrorist group. Hezbollah is not considered a terrorist group by the European Union, nor in my personal view.

Hezbollah is a military organization, but also a force that participates in elections. The paradox is that we support Siniora, a democratic leader, and Siniora lauds Hezbollah as the defender of the Lebanese homeland. It is important to understand the complexity of the situation, because if you have a simplistic view of the enemy, you deal with him incorrectly."

Of course, that multi-dimensional organization has now been judiciously exercising its power to settle some very old scores by persecuting family members of former SLA soldiers who still reside in Lebanon. It has made for a rather novel refugee situation on the Lebanon-Israeli border as Lebanese civilians are seeking refuge and safety in Israel. Ynet News carries this account:

Eight family members from Lebanon, former members of the Southern Lebanese Army , arrived Thursday afternoon within 10 meters of the border next to Metula and requested IDF authorization to enter into Israel following Hizbullah threats to cause them physical harm. It turns out that this is a real phenomenon in which Hizbullah members threaten family members of former SLA members.

Defense Minister Amir Peretz instructed the IDF to grant the family members entry into Israel and ordered to offer them humanitarian aid, until their situation and the circumstances of their flight from Lebanon are examined. However, as of now, the eight have yet to gain entry into Israel.

An IDF force on the northern border reported the presence of the Lebanese refugees on the border to the commanders of the Northern Command and to the Kiryat Shmona police station. As of now, it has been decided that the issue will be handled only by the IDF.

One of the most annoying things in attempting to discuss terrorist organizations is that there is always an apologista on hand who attempts to invoke the 'he was good to his mother, father, dog, spider, fly' defense. Does it really matter how many free medical services/clinics Hezbollah provides for its members when it would not hesitate to inflict grievous bodily harm unto a woman and her three children, and then, subsequently deny the family medical care - all because 6 years ago her husband was a patriot and a soldier for a non-Hezbollah militia?

And, in case anyone is keeping score, Ha’aretz is reporting that French leader Chirac thinks that the UN Resolution 1701 calling for 15,000 UNIFIL peacekeepers is "excessive". The country is apparently "too small" for 15,000 UNIFIL forces, but as a show of support and a gesture of good will, France has ponyed up another 1,600 soldiers to supplement the 400 soldiers France has already committed to UNIFIL forces. If that isn't a disproportionate gesture of generosity by the French towards peace - what is?