The Danger of an Immediate Cease-Fire: Victory for Terror

Surprise, surprise. All it took was a sign of weakness on our part, and the world is running with it. That's what a cease-fire is in the Middle East, at least before the war has been fought and won - a sign of weakness. Hezbollah, Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, A.Q. and all the others aren't interested in political settlements. Any and all political settlements with any of those groups is simply, in their minds, a "phased" solution, temporary, which allows time to acheive their ultimate goal: the destruction of Israel, the United States and Western civilization.

What will happen if this international force being spoken of deploys in southern Lebanon and is engaged by Hezbollah; soldiers are kidnapped by Hezbollah. What will happen if Hezbollah launches rockets from deeper behind the line, behind the international force? Will this force fight Hezbollah? Will the UN fight Hezbollah?

This is what Secretary Rice said, according to the Jerusalem Post (and after Israel's temporary halt to air attacks, this is why I'm concerned for chances of success in this war)

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice issued a statement on Monday morning in which she welcomed the halt in aerial attacks, urging a "lasting settlement" in the conflict between Lebanon and Israel through a UN Security Council resolution this week.

According to Rice, the deal should include the deployment of an international armed force in southern Lebanon under the control and in conjunction with the Lebanese Armed Forces; the disarmament of terrorist groups; and the deployment of LAF on the Syrian border so as to prevent the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups from that country.

"I am convinced that only by achieving both will the Lebanese people be able to control their country and their future, and the people of Israel finally be able to live free of attack from terrorist groups in Lebanon," Rice told reporters before departing for Washington.

Will Hezbollah be destroyed? Will it remain in the Lebanese government (or take it over)? Will it eventually acheive power through the continued terrorizing of Lebanon's citizens? But why ask questions when we can have a cease-fire.

Thank goodness there was no UN back in the 30's and 40's, when there were ideology wars and people believed in things. If there had been, perhaps there would have been a cease-fire after Hilter took Paris.

V-E Day? V-J Day? Still waiting for V-T Day, someday.