The US-backed UN resolution was unable to prevent Hezbollah's terror takeover: "Bipartisan failure"

The Hezbollah terrorist movement is facing criticism for its failure to disarm despite the ongoing clashes with Israel's air force.

In 2006, the U.S. and other world powers passed Resolution 1701 at the United Nations Security Council to prevent a third war between Israel and Hezbollah, an organization designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. Israel had previously fought Hezbollah in 1982 and during the summer of 2006.

According to experts on Lebanon and the U.N., two key elements of Resolution 1701 have proven largely ineffective.

The 10,000 peacekeeping personnel of the UNIFIL were expanded in 2006 to aid the LAF in taking control of the region between the Litani River and the southern border in Lebanon, replacing Hezbollah.

The objective of UNIFIL was to collaborate with the LAF to make the region "free of any armed personnel, assets, and weapons." Nevertheless, Hezbollah's increasing control over the Lebanese state has made it the de facto ruler of the country, as many experts contend, or a heavily armed "state within a state."

Despite the second crucial element of 1701 being to disarm Hezbollah, the Lebanese terrorist entity has re-armed itself and now possesses at least 150,000 missiles and rockets aimed at Israel.

U.S. presidential advisor Walid Phares stated that 1701 is a "restricted resolution that cannot solve the issue on its own." He added, "Many are using 1701 as an excuse and cannot resolve the problem." Phares also said that even with the presence of UNIFIL, Hezbollah would still return.

Phares, who has written extensively on Hezbollah, proposed enforcing the 2004 UNSC Resolution 1559 to complement 1701 because it explicitly called for the disarmament and dismantling of Hezbollah as a militia. This comprehensive resolution can serve as a cease-fire or a step towards achieving peace.

The Lebanese opposition should call for the execution of 1559. What does that mean? The Lebanese government will help disarm Hezbollah from the center, but the government is controlled by Hezbollah, so it cannot execute 1559. Who can do it? The Lebanese people themselves.

Some Lebanese Christians, Druze, and Sunnis have been refusing access to Hezbollah in their areas over the past few days. However, they require someone to represent them.

Rich Goldberg, a former member of President Trump's National Security Council, stated on Planet Chronicle Digital that the failure to enforce the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is both a bipartisan American failure and a U.N. failure. The Bush administration signed off on Resolution 1701 with a poison pill that UNIFIL could only act at the request of the Lebanese Armed Forces. No request was ever made, and no enforcement ever occurred, despite the U.S. pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into both UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces. The U.S. held all the cards but used none for 18 years, allowing Iran to take full advantage.

"According to Goldberg, a senior adviser for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the lesson for today is that Israel's campaign against Hezbollah cannot depend on UNIFIL or the Lebanese Armed Forces for verification or enforcement. Instead, the only party capable and willing to disarm Hezbollah is the Israel Defense Forces."

In the Senate chamber on Monday, Senator Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., mirrored Goldberg's remarks, stating, "The U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon facilitated Hezbollah's accumulation of substantial arsenals on Israel's border, which was an evident prelude to war."

"What is the reason behind the U.N.'s inaction as Hezbollah has expanded its harmful impact on Lebanon's government institutions?" he asked. "However, beyond the faults of the international community, this weekend's events highlighted America's own ignorance about the reality of Iran's war against our ally, Israel."

On Oct. 8, Hezbollah retaliated against Israel with rocket attacks, one day after Hamas launched an attack from Gaza and killed nearly 1,200 people, including 30 Americans, and took 250 hostages.

Tom Gross, a Middle East analyst and expert, stated on Planet Chronicle Digital that Israel has good reason not to trust the U.N. due to its bias during the conflict, its willingness to believe false reports from Hamas and Hezbollah, and its failure to enforce previous resolutions.

On Monday, France called for an urgent U.N. Security Council session to discuss the Lebanon-Israel conflict.

"An emergency meeting of the Security Council in Lebanon has been requested by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who urged all parties to prevent a devastating regional conflagration."

From 1920 to 1946, France had a colonial presence in Lebanon. In contrast to Germany, Canada, Austria, the United Kingdom, and many other European and Latin American countries, Paris has vehemently opposed classifying all of Hezbollah's movement as a terrorist entity.

The U.S. State Department directed Planet Chronicle Digital to remarks made by U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood at the Security Council in late August, where he condemned Hezbollah's repeated destabilizing actions and called for the council to condemn them. Wood stated that Hezbollah had made an escalatory decision to bombard communities in northern Israel and had done so nearly on a daily basis for the past 11 months. He also expressed regret that a small minority of council members had blocked the council from condemning Hezbollah's actions during the mandate renewal.

Wood emphasized that Iran is in violation of the arms embargo in Resolution 1701 by providing Hezbollah with the majority of the rockets, missiles, and drones used to attack Israel. He urged the international community to implement Resolution 1701 fully, including establishing an area south of the Litani River that is free of any armed personnel, assets, or weapons other than those of the Lebanese government and UNIFIL.

The UNIFIL statement on Monday emphasized the importance of fully committing to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which is now more crucial than ever to resolve the conflict and maintain stability.