Lebanon:"We'll Take The Land By Force"

If the Israelis refuse to give up what he called "Israeli-occupied land" to Lebanon, Lebanese President General Michel Sueleiman said the Lebanese Army will take it by force. Suleiman made the threats while speaking at a press conference after a quiet meeting with his puppet master Syrian President Basher Assad at French President Sarkozy's Mediterranean conference in Paris.

The "occupied land" Suleiman is talking about is the strategic Shabaa Farms/Mount Dov area.It's high ground that Israel captured from Syria during the Six Day War.

When Israel pulled out of South Lebanon back in 2000,they went to considerable trouble to get a UN ruling on whom this land belonged,and the UN Security Council issued Resolution 425 saying it was formerly part of Syria, not Lebanon,and that any negotiations onth ematter woul dbe between Israel and Syriaq. Being that Syria is still in a state of war with Israel and doesn't recognize its existence the Israelis continued to hang on to it, not being total fools. Needless to say, the UN has now refused to honor their own resolution on the matter,just as they usually do when Israel is concerned.

Blogger extraordinaire Soccer Dad has a fine piece on this subject that I heartily recommend as excellent background on this hypocrisy.

No matter what the UN says, Hezbollah claims that the area in question belongs to Lebanon,and that they'd just love it as a desirable site for missile launchers.Syria and Lebanon haven't really resolved the issue between them,but seeing as Syria owns Lebanon again these days,I suppose it really doesn't matter...

Assad took the time in Paris to pat his puppy Suleiman on the head and assert a little alpha dominance, saying Lebanon had an important role to play in the Middle East and that any progress in future Israel-Lebanon negotiations would be made in coordination with Syria.

Of course, peace negotiations aren't all that's going to be made in coordination with Syria,or with Iran, for that matter. Assad likewise has threatened war if the Israelis don't knuckle under and cede the Golan to them...and a war with Hezbollah, Syria and Lebanon is coming in any event, no matter what Israel does.

If the Olmert government is silly enough to give up the Mount Dov area, they have as good as given Hezbollah an advanced post to attack Northern Israel with impunity.

Hence the threats - Assad and Suleiman know whom they're dealing with and are hoping Olmert will cave in before he's kicked out of office and put behind bars.