Posted 8/10/2003 06:28:00 PM by Ocean Guy
Syria needs to feel the Heat

Twenty years ago I was part of the multi-national peacekeeping force that Ronald Reagan sent to Lebanon. We were there, ostensibly, to help keep peace. The reality was that a part of keeping the peace meant we were, in fact, protecting the PLO. It was an unpleasant experience on a number of levels and is just one of the reasons I dislike Reagan as much as I dislike Clinton. But that's a completely different topic.

Syria's occupation of Lebanon has been as brutal as it has been ignored by the Arabists and palestinian sympathizers. Hizbollah’s dominance of the south of Lebanon has been encouraged and financed by Syria, Iran, Iraq, and the entire Arab World. I hope we’re seeing the beginnings of their last stand. At least the right diplomatic noise is being made. Still the attacks continue.

The U.S. conveyed to the governments in Beirut and Damascus, America's worries about "escalation and provocation" planned by militant organizations based in Lebanon, State Department officials said. U.S. delegates asked Lebanese and Syrian officials to take steps to restrain Hezbollah, and prevent the firing of missiles at Israel.

In its strong message to Beirut and Damascus, the U.S. government emphasized that the
national interests of Syria and Lebanon require the preservation of quiet on Israel's northern border, whose current status - following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon - has been endorsed by the UN.

The U.S. also called on Lebanon to deploy its army in the country's south, to prevent additional Hezbollah offensives against Israel.

Update: Imshin has more... So does Gil.