Abou S, I know that we agree on more things that we disagree about - in fact the issues that we differ upon are more of a procedural matter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Abou Sandal  The issue of Wazzani water that lead Sharon to threaten Lebanon of a war, due to the Wazzani water, is one of many flagrant examples of it.
Our problem with Israel is an ongoing one since ages. It did not start with HA, and it will not end, if HA is gone. Nothing will stop it unless Israel decides to make a real just genuine step towards peace.
Now tensions and wars are chronic in this big scheme. They start and stop according to tactical, sometimes strategic, opportunities. But not according to HA's will to resist or not, and not according to any Lebanese will at the first place, and definitely not according to what happens or what doesn't happen on the Lebanese soil, or front.
If HA disappears tomorrow, and there is no state or Army able to protect the territory, Israel will still aggress Lebanon and interfere in it, and will even create a group to replace "HA" in order to justify its daily in and outs of the Lebanese territory. |
For the above, a striking example would be the parallel to the Syrian threat.
Syria a very similar threat in terms of practically the same issues:
1. Water: The Assi river has been exploited by Syria in an unfair manner as what pertains to the inhabitants of Northern Bekaa.
2. Land: A number of border areas are subject to substantial land encroachment and in places like Mazraat Deir Al Achayer, it goes way beyond encroachment and actual occupation of large zones of what is considered by constitution a Lebanese land. Even in the Shebaa farms, Syria has yet to cede those areas to Lebanon - it still has an ambition on them.
3. Security: Dozens of examples how Syrian border troops fired on Lebanese who have approached the border or were "suspicious" enough for the Syrians to shoot on them. Many fishermen have also been caught and held by Syrian military since supposedly they were in Syrian territorial waters - which is debatable. Syria also has a large intelligence apparatus in Lebanon, underground yes but still there and one of the most effective foreign bodies in our country.
4. Prisoners: There are dozens if not hundreds of Lebanese prisoners held by Damascus, enough said on this.
In fact, the only thing where Israel and Syria do not compete is the aerial breach of Lebanese sovereignty, however in all others fields we have a beef with Syria, including its game(s) on the recognition of Lebanon as an independent and sovereign state and dropping its old claims of Lebanon being a Syrian province.
The issue here is the following: If a Lebanese group wanted to fight/resist Syrian with the same ferocity than Hezbollah does with Israel, we could have been in much dire straits - including in the status of the fight/resistance against Israel. So why should practice restraint, moderation and diplomacy when engaging Syria and on the other hand go all out against Israel?
PS: By internal threat from Hezbollah, I mean its ideological agenda - surely Ghandi isn't much of a threat in terms of ideology, however and as an example the Lebanese Forces with their own ideology are also and IMO an internal threat to the idea of Lebanon as I see it, that's the type of threat I was referring to.
8th September 2008
