
On Wednesday’s edition of “PBS NewsHour,” U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein, who led the negotiations for the Lebanon ceasefire, shared his views on Iran’s potential actions following the agreement. He explained that Iran would likely attempt to re-arm Hezbollah, but due to Iran’s weakened state, efforts would be made to curb the flow of weapons from Iran through Syria, with the goal of slowing or even halting the process entirely.
In response to a question from Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent Nick Schifrin about how Iran could fill in the gaps left by Hezbollah, Hochstein said, “Well, they’re going to try. But I would say Iran is significantly weaker today, as well, than they have been. And part of this agreement is we’re going to try to make sure that the re-arming, which happens from Iran through Syria, is at least diminished, slowed down, if not eliminated.”
Hochstein went on to elaborate on the broader context of the agreement, explaining that it addresses two areas: what happens inside Syria and what occurs in Lebanon. The focus of the deal, he said, is on the situation within Lebanon. According to the agreement, the Lebanese government is tasked with asserting control over all border crossings, both authorized and unauthorized. This responsibility will fall on the Lebanese army, as well as other security agencies, to ensure they take charge of these areas. He also mentioned that the situation in Syria would require a separate discussion for another time.
{Matzav.com}
Hochstein gives new meaning to “useless.”
Let’s be just a little realistic. For 60 days, Israel will make a lot of noise every time the terrorists violate the agreement, and there will be many violations, almost nonstop. For the first week, maybe two, we’ll hear about those violations, and the peacekeepers will support Israel. After that, they’ll start telling Israel to stop being so aggressive, and by the time the 60 days are up, Israel will slink whimperingly back behind its border, simply allowing Hezbollah to re-arm etc. Does that sound more realistic than nonsense about cooperation amongst the peacekeeping forces to monitor and report violations (via “chat” no less, as mentioned in another report, how laughable), and about Lebanon taking charge of border crossings and controlling hezbollah’s rearmament? I think it’s much more realistic.