Dueling Victory Dances

It's time to spin the ceasefire!

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said Monday that his guerrillas achieved a "strategic, historic victory" against Israel — a declaration that prompted celebratory gunfire across the Lebanese capital.

...Lebanese civilians jammed onto roads to stream back to war-ravaged areas Monday after a the cease-fire halted the fighting that claimed more than 900 lives.

For the first time in a month, no rockets were fired into northern Israel, but few Israelis who fled the war were seen returning and Israel's government advised them to stay away for now.

Nasrallah said Hezbollah "came out victorious in a war in which big Arab armies were defeated (before)."

"We are today before a strategic, historic victory, without exaggeration," Nasrallah said. He spoke on the day a cease-fire took effect — ending 34 days of deadly fighting between Hezbollah and Israel. Nasrallah called Monday "a great day."

Now was not the time to debate the disarmament of his guerrilla fighters, Nasrallah asserted.

What?

NOW IS THE TIME TO DISARM HEZBOLLAH.

"Who will defend Lebanon in case of a new Israeli offensive?" he asked. "The Lebanese army and international troops are incapable of protecting Lebanon," he said, flanked by Lebanese and Hezbollah flags.

Anyone who believes that Hezbollah will engage in constructive dialogue and voluntarily disarm is nuts.

..."This was the most beautiful street in the neighborhood," [Ahmed al-Zein] said. "Now it's like an earthquake zone."

There were no reports of Israeli strikes on cars — a sign Israel did not want to risk rekindling the conflict. But at least one child was killed and 15 people were wounded by ordnance that detonated as they returned to their homes in the south, security officials said.

That makes it sound like Israel was the aggressor. AP has forgotten how this all started.

When has Israel been the first to break a ceasefire agreement?

Both Hezbollah and Israel claimed they came out ahead in the conflict.

Hezbollah distributed leaflets congratulating Lebanon on its "big victory" and thanking citizens for their patience during the fighting, which began July 12 when guerrillas killed three Israeli soldiers and captured two others in a cross-border raid.

Did Hezbollah thank citizens for participating in those staged photo-ops, too?

Did they give a shout-out to the surviving families of Lebanese civilians because Hezbollah used their loved ones as human shields and propaganda tools?


Of course, Nasrallah would claim victory, because he was victorious. The United Nations and the world saw to that.

President Bush disagrees. He says that Israel was the victor.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush said Monday that Hezbollah guerillas suffered a defeat at the hands of Israel in their monthlong Mideast war.

"There's going to be a new power in the south of Lebanon," Bush said.

The president also said the war was part of a broader struggle between freedom and terror and "we can only imagine how much more dangerous this conflict would be if Iran had the nuclear weapon it seeks."

...Bush said the "responsibility for this suffering lies with Hezbollah."

The president spoke at the State Department after conferring with his national security team, first at the Pentagon and then at the State Department. He was flanked by Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Bush said the U.N. cease-fire resolution was "an important step forward that will help bring an end to the violence."

"We certainly hope the cease-fire holds," he said.

The ceasefire won't hold. How can it?

Nothing has changed fundamentally.

"Lebanon can't be a strong democracy when there is a state within a state and that's Hezbollah," Bush said.

"Hezbollah attacked Israel without any knowledge of the (Lebanese) government. Hezbollah attacked Israel. Hezbollah started the crisis, and Hezbollah suffered a defeat in this crisis," the president said.

In a sense, sure, Hezbollah suffered a defeat in that they no longer have completely free rein in southern Lebanon.

But, they live to rearm and fight another day.

I'm glad that the fighting and killing and suffering has momentarily stopped.

Nevertheless, the tensions in the region remain and an armed Hezbollah remains.

Nasrallah got world opinion to swing in his favor, thanks to his exploitation of Lebanese civilians and the terrorist-appeasing media outlets.

While both sides in this conflict have reason to claim victories, both should also acknowledge they've suffered defeats.

The bottom line:

Much of the Arab and Muslim world still want Israel to be wiped off the face of the map.

Too much of the rest of the world doesn't seem to care.