Israel warns of “greater tragedy” if Lebanon does not change
(AFP)
12 August 2006
UNITED NATIONS –
Israel warned the world would face an even “greater tragedy” in the Middle East if the resolution passed by the UN Security Council on Friday did not produce change in Lebanon.
“A resolution alone will do nothing,” Israel’s UN ambassador Dan Gillerman told the Security Council of the UN statement calling for the disarmament of Hezbollah and the establishment of an arms free zone in southern Lebanon after the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
“Unless the tools set out in this resolution are used, with resolve and decisiveness, we will be back at this table — if not in a week then in a month or a year, facing an even greater tragedy.
“For then the terrorists, supplied no doubt with even more lethal weapons by Iran, will be yet further emboldened by yet another demonstration of our lack of commitment and will.”
Gillerman put the blame for the conflict on Lebanon, accusing the Lebanese government of failing to control Hezbollah and establish its authority over the country.
Israel launched its strikes against southern Lebanon on July 12 after Hezbollah, which dominates southern Lebanon, abducted two Israeli soldiers. The conflict has since left more than 1,100 dead in the two countries.
“Israel, like any state, has the right and duty to defend its citizens from Hezbollah’s unprovoked attacks,” said Gillerman. ”However it is ready to respond to the calls of this council and to give another chance to the government of Lebanon and the international community to create a new reality on the ground.”
Gillerman also warned that the alleged airline-bombing plot uncovered by Britain this week was a sign that terrorism that has become a mark of the Middle East is a threat to the whole world.
He said the foiled plot showed that “The tragedy we have seen in our region over the past weeks … is but a preview of a coming attraction, produced by Iran, directed by Syria, acted by terrorist groups, soon to be seen in a theater near you.”
Wild Thing’s comment…….
I like Dan Gillerman, I respect him. He is NOT anything like Olmert. What Gillerman said is true. They will be back at the tables again….”if not in a week then in a month or a year, facing an even greater tragedy.”…….He knows it because he knows what the Hezbollah is about.
A cease-fire is not peace!!!! In a true peace a new understanding has been reached with ironclad promises for both sides not to attack the other. In a “ceasefire”, there is no new understanding; both sides have merely agreed to stop killing each other for the time being. And we all know that that is impossible for the Hezbollah! In this case Hezbollah, whether it is firing missiles at Israel or not, is still dedicated wholly to its destruction. That is not peace. It is an interim for rearming for the Hezbollah!
This is vile horrible news about this freaking so called cease fire has me so angry. If this goes final, Hezbollah will gain even more credibility in the Muslim world. They were already credited for getting Israel to withdraw from Lebanon in the first place.
Olmert is giving the Hezbollah a victory. The IDF did declare that it needed time to destroy those terrorists but Olmert’s patience ran out and he is capitulating to France’s demand.
They are TERRORISTS…that’s what they DO. They have sworn to kill all Israelis and drive them into the sea. This isn’t over by a long shot.
This post linked over at Basil’s blog
Maybe, hopefully, Israel will ignore this resolution. They will have suffered losses for nothing if they stop their offensive and pull back now. Korea is a “cease-fire” and 60 years later look at the instability there.
I hope so Tom, we just know the Hezbollah won’t honor anything. You are so right about Korea, good point.