[Kabar-indonesia] JP Editorial: Guarding Lebanon

[Joyo at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post 
Friday, September 1, 2006

Editorial
    
Guarding Lebanon

Slowly, albeit somewhat unsurely, ground forces for the expanded United 
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, have begun arriving in Lebanon.

It is hoped UNIFIL will have around 4,000 to 5,000 troops on the ground by 
the end of the month, with the force eventually reaching up to 15,000.

The arrival of the foreign contingent in Lebanon has been made possible by 
the clarification of guidelines which provide for a strong mandate to prevent 
hostile activities, yet avoid exposing UN troops to harm by forcing them disarm 
militias in Lebanon.

We support the UN's position that the disarmament of Hizbollah should be part 
of a larger political process that rightly should fall under the aegis of the 
Lebanese government.

The presence of UN peacekeeping forces could further be hastened and 
bolstered if Israel began showing more goodwill and cooperation with an international 
community that is growing impatient with its recalcitrance.

Calls by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan earlier this week for Israel to 
immediately withdraw from southern Lebanon have not been responded to, and a plea 
for the Jewish state to lift its blockade of Lebanon has been rejected.

A comprehensive and representative peacekeeping force in Lebanon, including 
majority Muslim countries like Indonesia, also remains in the balance because 
Israel reportedly refuses to accept the presence of troops from countries with 
which it has no diplomatic ties.

Israel would do well to heed the advice of UN Department of Peacekeeping 
Operations deputy head Hedi Annabi, who pointed out that substantial commitments 
by non-European countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey were important 
to assemble a "balanced, well structured force with maximum legitimacy and 
effectiveness".

We also believe that the question of diplomatic relations, though technically 
valid, is unnecessarily being raised by Israel.

Indonesian contingents have been involved and have performed admirably in 
Middle East peacekeeping operations in the past. There should be no reason to 
reject Indonesia now.

We can only surmise that Israel is trying to make a diplomatic point by 
rejecting countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia at the expense of Lebanese lives.

Over 1,000 people have been killed in the fighting between Israel and 
Hizbollah. Is this not reason enough to begin ending the violence?

As a democratic and responsible modern state, the world looks to Israel to 
make the most difficult and important of gestures. But based on Israel's 
persistently condescending view of this whole process it is no surprise, in fact it 
is understandable, that Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora would brush off 
suggestions of a peace deal with Israel.

Israel continues to seek piecemeal arrangements it can dominate -- with the 
support of the United States -- rather than committing itself to a 
comprehensive peace deal. A deal that should see Israel withdraw from all territories it 
captured in the 1967 war and the establishment of a Palestinian state with east 
Jerusalem as its capital.

At this juncture the deployment of peacekeeping forces is merely the 
beginning of an even more important task of helping the Lebanese rebuild their lives. 
The international community should band together in this joint effort.

Immediate relief and a clear blueprint for post-war reconstruction are not 
only humanitarian necessities, but more importantly political ones.

Without reconstruction and assistance, decimated communities, war children 
and condemned families will be provoked toward embracing a life of radicalism. 
Driven by desperation and vengeance, people living in neighborhoods pulverized 
by Israeli shells must be wooed against a life of radicalism.

Our failure today will fuel the violence of the next generation.

The cost of reconstruction is high -- estimated at about US$3.6 billion. But 
this cost is nothing compared to the long-terms gains. 


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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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