Eilon, Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Hello friends
The war ended abruptly. A cease-fire drafted in New York quickly came into effect. Despite the uncertainties regarding the deployment of the Lebanese army and the multi-national force and other questions concerning the fulfillment of their missions, the IDF began withdrawing the bulk of its forces. The reservists were all too happy to return to Israel and there seems to be a quick demobilization process.
The alacrity in which this process is undertaken has created two irreconcilable impressions. The first impression is that Jerusalem has secured her goals, with Hezbollah disarmed and vanquished from southern Lebanon. The rapid thinning of forces suggests that the other two forces are rapidly filling the vacuum left by the IDF withdrawal and are engaged in enforcing pertinent UN resolutions.
Many reservists returning from the field have questioned the wisdom and tactics involved during the last three days of fighting. The IDF incurred more than thirty fatalities in this final phase. Many of these veteran troops are less prepared to view with equanimity the decision to throw them into the fray only to yield their positions without granite guarantees that their efforts were worth their sacrifices. The final onslaught appears to have been done to create a perception of victory, of having achieved something in the field but also to restore confidence while resurrecting the army's battered self-image.
The events of the past two days reinforce these apprehensions. Hezbollah has declared that it will not disarm or abandon the region south of the Litani River. It has announced that it intends to keep its weapons, albeit in safe and undisclosed places.
The rapid deployment of nearly three divisions was a convenient lever to pressure the Security Counsel into adapting a "favorable" resolution. The army pressed the political echelon into activating the forces which had assembled along the frontier because it provided Hezbollah with a large target but also because continued inactivity was beginning to undermine morale. The troops were described as highly motivated.
On a different level, Hezbollah has committed itself to restoring the destroyed towns and villages. It is understood that reconstruction would be funded by Tehran. This has upset many Lebanese, who do not embrace the Iranian connection with their country. The Beirut government may actually undertake reconstruction through its formal links with the international community, but already finds itself in competition with Hezbollah.
The influx of displaced southerners returning south is unorganized and haphazard. The IDF distributed leaflets cautioning the population from returning in this interim period, but to no avail. Aside from the general devastation, unexploded ordnance adds to the danger. Who is accountable for non-combatants if fighting is renewed? Hezbollah personnel are included in this rush south, and it is likely that rather than fewer arms more arms are replenishing the local arsenals. Hezbollah pennants have already been fastened to the security fence that divides Kileh and Metulla, two opposing communities that straddle the northeastern border.
This however has not obstructed the irrepressible view that the war is over and somehow won. Debby and I glimpsed the western battery which had become an integral part of our daily existence in the throes of dismantling itself. Large tractor trailers jammed the road leading to Shlomi hauling their M 109 howitzers and their treaded auxiliary vehicles. Troops were on the road directing traffic.
Except for the buzzing drone which invisibly hovered above Eilon through much of last night, there were no audible reminders that a war had taken place.
Love-Barry