There are troubling signs that UNIFILs inaction in Southern Lebanon will result in not only a complete failure of their mission, but another war between Hizbollah and Israel.
The Lebanese army has made a deal with Hizbullah terrorist guerillas, dividing up patrols in southern Lebanon, according to an officer of the United Nations Interim Forces (UNIFIL).
Hajj Ali, a Hizbullah terrorist leader who lives in the village of Bint Jbil near the Israeli border, declared, "There will be another war in the summer. It is the beginning of the end for Israel; we are preparing."
"Hizbullah still dominates the south, its security men policing the Shi'ite villages and its fighters patrolling the border," the Guardian reported.
Shi'ite Muslims, aligned with Hizbullah, have re-armed, said the newspaper, which questioned the effectiveness of UNIFIL.
Compounding the international force's problems in carrying out its mission of keeping Hizbullah out of the area is a growing suspicion among local residents. Analysts have noted that most of southern Lebanon is obligated to Hizbullah, which has provided residents with social and economic support.
Meanwhile, even humanitarian missions are being rejected
A medical team from the French contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was ordered to leave the village of Maroun al-Ras by officials from the Bint Jbeil municipality on Monday, a security source here told The Daily Star on Tuesday. The French medical team had been visiting Maroun al-Ras every Monday for over a month to administer patient checkups, the source said.
"But the French team was surprised [Monday] to see members of the municipality urging them to leave, saying they were not welcome," the source said.
Meanwhile, UNIFIL spokesperson Liam McDowall said that "what happened [Monday] in Maroun al-Ras was the result of a lack of coordination in timing [of the visit]."
Yeah, I'm sure Hizbollah doesn't like unannounced visits; you never know what might be going on they don't want UNIFIL to know about. Willard Payne puts the situation bluntly
Tehran has begun its armed campaign against the European units in UNIFIL, the United Nations forces in south Lebanon organized by the Rome Conference last July. Soon after they arrived, Tehran had al-Qaeda declare them to be an enemy of Islam, realizing it was an instrument of Europe to restore its influence in the region that had been badly shaken by assassinations of Lebanese political leaders that had been working with the West. The assassinations had been carried out by Tehran and with the full knowledge of Damascus. Rome and the West also knew the only Islamic head of state completely opposed to Tehran's growing influence was President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. [AKI]
...But now, as Hezbollah threatens to begin a campaign of civil disobedience to increase pressure on Western ally Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Tehran is now having Hezbollah and its supporters target UNIFIL, right after Syria President Bashar al-Assad just visited Tehran last week. On Sunday, youths who support Hezbollah threw stones at Spanish troops. UNIFIL is trying to explain these incidents away as "misunderstandings" and "youthful exhuberance." [AKI]
With Hezbollah resupplied, Damascus-Tehran are now in position to attack Israel-UNIFIL-US/UK and maintain the siege against Siniora simultaneously and with the full blessing of the House of Saud.
To support this contention, Olivier Guitta of the Counterterrorism Blog notes
First incidents against the international forces of UNIFIL in the South are increasing.
For instance last Sunday Spanish soldiers were attacked with stones by pro Hezbollah villagers in Debbine. Then on Monday it was the turn of French troops, a medical unit composed of doctors and nurses who came to Marun El Ras to treat for free some local villagers. The French were quite violently kicked out by locals favorable to Hezbollah who told them not to come back.
These incidents have not been given much publicity but they spell disaster.
On Tuesday a Minister even denounced Hezbollah's role in fomenting violence against UNIFIL troops. At the same time, UNIFIL troops are playing low profile and downplaying these stories in order to avoid terror attacks against their troops by Hezbollah terrorists.
Hopefully, this time, Israel will be better prepared to kick ass than they were last Summer.
