From what I’ve heard about the stated mission of Hezbollah/Iran, which is to wipe Israel off the planet, I don’t see how this peace agreement would affect them at all. It might make them more angry.

I think efforts have to be made to give the young people who are signing on to the terrorist activities other things to do. Other perceptions to hold onto.

“is it fair for the Lebanese who were NOT religiously sociopathic to be held responsible for the bigger, stronger, better-armed and famously crazy brother?”

Absolutely not. As a Lebanese myself, I despise Hizbullah, but I cannot condone the punishment of a civilian population. HA represents a portion of Lebanon’s Shiite constituency, who were historically marginalized politically and who only gained access to Lebanese public life through Iranian support in the form of Hizbullah. Thus, they are extremely protective over Hizbullah’s current status.

Because of the nature of Lebanon’s confessional system and its rather colorful history of inter-communal violence, it would have been impossible for the Lebanese Army to move militarily against Hizbullah without the army itself fracturing along sectarian lines and provoking a Lebanese civil war. This would definitely not have been in the interests of Israel. Also, Syria – Hizbullah’s patron and conduit of Iranian weapons and finance – would never have allowed this and would have stepped up its campaign of terror and assassination in Lebanon, something I doubt the Israelis would have been kind enough to step in and prevent. Therefore, the reality of the Lebanese political situation dictated that out and out military action against Hizbullah was at this time impossible. The alternatives are worse than the current situation, for both Israel and Lebanon.

“I don’t understand how bombing the Lebanese infrastructure back to where it was developmentally 20 years ago helps them gain any strength to fight the influence of Hezbollah if they wanted to.”

I agree. This campaign has done nothing but radicalize the Shiites who are going to support HA no matter how hard you bomb them while making enemies of all the other sects who are un-armed and have greater political maturity and interest in a stable and strong Lebanese government. Destroying Lebanon strengthens non-state elements and fractures the fragile democracy and country the Lebanese have worked so hard to built after 30 years of war and occupation. Shameful.

The real culprits behind this war are of course Iran and Syria, neither of which are in any danger of being attacked by the US and Israel. Thus, Israel attacks who it can not who it must. Tough luck for the Lebanese? Maybe. But don’t go on about the lack of peace in the region and animosity from Israel’s northern neighbor if this is going to be approach.

It’s ironic that in destroying Lebanon, Israel is attacking the Middle Eastern nation most likely to be open to a peacable relationship with it. Lebanon is modern, cosmopolitan and (imperfectly) democratic. This is definitely a loss.

What’s doubly ironic is how this will all end: either in civil war when the Israelis succeed in bullying the Lebanese government to use force against Hizbullah. OR in an enhanced Hizbullah position when the Israelis – who don’t have the stomach for a prolonged land war – are repelled by the Hizbullah zealots. Grim.