Two Lebanese nationals look back on Israel’s withdrawal from the southern Lebanese security zone after 10 years.
Elias Bejjani and Charbel Barakat explain why a lot of co-nationals fled to Israel, and how the withdrawal changed strategic equations in the Mideast. Their grim conclusion:
As a result of the Israeli withdrawal, there has been an enormous global escalation of terrorism not only in the Middle East, but in many other countries. Progress of peace efforts suffered a remarkable setback and worldwide violence prevailed leading to the 9/11 attacks and to subsequent acts of terrorism throughout Europe and the rest of the world . . . .
Sadly, Lebanon is now living a repeat of same ghastly milieu that prevailed in 1982: tension, instability, chaos, and forced absence of any input on what goes on its land. The war-peace decision making process is again in the hands of Syria and Iran, while weapons of all kinds are smuggled to Hezbollah and to other Lebanese – Palestinian armed terrorist groups via Syria without any kind of control or impunity.
Related reading: Re-examining Hezbollah History
