Hezbollah runs wild as UN resolution falls flat

"On Aug. 11, 2006, the U.N. Security Council issued Resolution 1701, which ended the 34-day war between Hezbollah and Israel, called for the demilitarization of southern Lebanon and reaffirmed past calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah. The resolution has failed spectacularly as Hezbollah, bristling with heavy weaponry supplied by Iran, has become a regional military player, and there's plenty of blame to go around...

Resolution 1701 specifically charged the Lebanese Armed Forces - with support from the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) - with the responsibility of ensuring that Hezbollah did not rearm. The Security Council also expanded UNIFIL's mandate to assist the Lebanese government in preventing the proliferation of unauthorized weapons.

Yet today, Hezbollah is one of the main powers in the Syrian civil war, as well as the preeminent military and political power in Lebanon. Indeed, the Israeli military estimated in April that Hezbollah possessed 130,000 rockets and missiles - far more than it did in 2006. Hezbollah is one reason Bashar al-Assad remains in power in Syria. Anti-Assad rebels admit that Hezbollah's military might has turned the tide of several battles. This is not a group that has disarmed...

In April, Hezbollah conducted a media tour of its military positions in southern Lebanon, showcasing heavy artillery and fortified posts along the Lebanese-Israeli border. At one point, according to journalists' reports, a UNIFIL officer attempted to intervene. That officer was instead escorted away by a Lebanese military officer accompanying the tour. It is telling that the Lebanese army, rather than disarming Hezbollah, is instead shielding it from UNIFIL's gaze...

Until the Lebanese government is willing and able to confront Hezbollah, the Security Council should at the very least expand UNIFIL's mandate to actively combat Hezbollah's rearmament. Sadly, 11 years after 1701 was passed, Hezbollah's danger to the entire region has never been greater."