1559! 1559! 1559! Yes… the Resolution that Israelis and the U.S. can’t stop referring to. I’ll leave aside the irony that Israel is one of the all-time violaters of UN Security Council Resolutions, especially since most of them were passed so long ago.. I mean what’s a UN SCR but a piece of paper anyway?
Jolly old 1559 is so short that it can be quoted here in its entirety, made effective on September 2, 2004:
The Security Council,
Recalling all its previous resolutions on Lebanon, in particular resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) of 19 March 1978, resolution 520 (1982) of 17 September 1982, and resolution 1553 (2004) of 29 July 2004 as well as the statements of its President on the situation in Lebanon, in particular the statement of 18 June 2000 (S/PRST/2000/21),
Reiterating its strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognized borders,
Noting the determination of Lebanon to ensure the withdrawal of all non-Lebanese forces from Lebanon,
Gravely concerned at the continued presence of armed militias in Lebanon, which prevent the Lebanese Government from exercising its full sovereignty over all Lebanese territory,
Reaffirming the importance of the extension of the control of the Government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory,
Mindful of the upcoming Lebanese presidential elections and underlining the importance of free and fair elections according to Lebanese constitutional rules devised without foreign interference or influence,
- Reaffirms its call for the strict respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity, and political independence of Lebanon under the sole and exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon throughout Lebanon;
- Calls upon all remaining foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon;
- Calls for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias;
- Supports the extension of the control of the Government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory;
- Declares its support for a free and fair electoral process in Lebanon’s upcoming presidential election conducted according to Lebanese constitutional rules devised without foreign interference or influence;
- Calls upon all parties concerned to cooperate fully and urgently with the Security Council for the full implementation of this and all relevant resolutions concerning the restoration of the territorial integrity, full sovereignty, and political independence of Lebanon;
- Requests that the Secretary-General report to the Security Council within thirty days on the implementation by the parties of this resolution and decides to remain actively seized of the matter.
Highlighted sections are all mine.
Turns out that Part 5 of ye olde Resolution 1559 was carried out to the fullest, included a massive increase of Hizb Allah’s representation in the parliament.
Obviously it is Part 3 that the U.S., Israel and much of the rest of the world is concerned about. But wait a minute! You silly rabbit, you completely forgot that Lebanon didn’t even get a vote on 1559.
Here is what Lebanon had to say when 1559 passed (by a razor-thin margin):
The measure, which was introduced by France and the United States and garnered the minimum support required for passage, drew opposition from Lebanon’s Foreign Minister. Addressing the Council, Mohamad Issa disputed the basis of the text, saying Israel’s occupation had prompted a national resistance which was used where and when needed. Lebanon, he asserted, had control over its territory save for parts occupied by Israel.
Luckily the non-obedient Mohammed Issa was quickly removed from power in the new praiseworthy, democratically-elected government. Except what’s that? Issa has been replaced by Faouzi Salloukh? Shhh, don’t tell anyone he’s both a Shi’ite and was endorsed by Hizb Allah.
Well the good news anyway is that the trusty UN has been on the case since 2004. And remember that 30 day report? For all you Vegas fans, it was Security Council Report 777. It’s a bit too long to quote in its entirety but here are some interesting parts:
From 1975 to 1990, Lebanon suffered a tragic and bloody civil war that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 120,000 people…
…Over the years, at various times, France, Italy, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America deployed forces in Lebanon at the request of its Government to bring the fighting to an end and to stabilize the situation. Israel carried out frequent military operations during this period, including shellings, air attacks, two large-scale incursions into Lebanon and an extended occupation of the southern part of the country.
The Security Council has been engaged in the issue since 1978 and has adopted 76 resolutions that called, inter alia, for an end to violence, the protection of civilians, respect for Lebanese sovereignty, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory and the extension of Lebanese authority throughout the country’s territory.
After a Palestinian attack in northern Israel that had resulted in the deaths of over 30 civilians, Israel carried out a major military operation in southern Lebanon in March 1978. The Security Council adopted resolution 425 (1978), calling upon Israel immediately to cease its military action against Lebanese territorial integrity and withdraw forthwith its forces from all Lebanese territory.
In June 1982, Israel launched an invasion of Lebanon, the trigger for which was an assassination attempt on the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom…
…France, Italy and the United States provided troops to the Multinational Force, and the evacuation was completed by September 1982.
After the assassination of Lebanese president-elect Bashir Gemayel in mid-September 1982, followed by an Israeli incursion into west Beirut and the criminal massacre of Palestinians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by Phalangist militias in late September, the Multinational Force returned to Lebanon…
…The Security Council adopted resolution 520 (1982) on 17 September 1982, in which it condemned the Israeli incursion into Beirut, demanded a return to the positions occupied by Israel before 15 September and called for the strict respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence of Lebanon…
In May 1983, representatives of Israel, Lebanon and the United States reached an agreement intended to lead to the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the establishment of a “security region” in southern Lebanon. On 23 October 1983, 241 United States Marines and 56 French paratroopers were killed in twin suicide bombings. Against a backdrop of rising violence, the Government of Lebanon cancelled its agreement with Israel in March 1984. The Multinational Force withdrew in April of that year.
On 25 May 2000, the Government of Israel notified me that Israel had redeployed its forces in compliance with Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978).
All highlighted parts are my doing. Note that it took Israel 22 years to comply with Resolutions 425 and 426 while Lebanon has had less than 2 years to comply with 1559 (and Syria has been certified as being in compliance!).
Here’s what the report (777) had to say about Hizb Allah:
The most significant remaining armed group is Hezbollah. The Government of Lebanon objects to the characterization of Hezbollah as a Lebanese militia, and refers to it as a “national resistance group” that has as its goal the defence of Lebanon from Israel and the removal of Israeli forces from Lebanese soil, namely, the Shab’a farms. Lebanon maintains that the Shab’a farms are Lebanese territory, not Syrian…
…Notwithstanding the Government of Lebanon’s position that the Shab’a farms area lies within Lebanon, the Government has confirmed that it would respect the Blue Line as identified by the United Nations.
As of 30 September 2004, United Nations staff on the ground had not discerned any change in the status of Hezbollah since the adoption of resolution 1559 (2004). In this connection, the Government of Lebanon has informed me that the fragile security situation in the region, the risk to Lebanon’s stability and the lack of a comprehensive regional peace process would make it difficult to implement the resolution immediately and fully.
UNIFIL has reported that there have been violations from both sides of the Blue Line; on the Lebanese side, they have come from Hezbollah and Palestinian groups. Hezbollah operations have frequently violated the Blue Line. It is widely asserted that Hezbollah operations are carried out independently of Lebanese government control or sanction. I have previously urged the Government of Lebanon to exert control over the use of force on its entire territory and to prevent all attacks from its territory across the Blue Line.
The Government of Lebanon has stated to me that it is constrained in its ability to deploy its forces in parts of southern Lebanon by the terms of the Israeli- Lebanese General Armistice Agreement of 23 March 1949, which set limits to the numbers and types of military forces the parties might deploy in the region of the boundary between the two countries. According to the Government, it has deployed in the region the full complement of 1,500 troops permitted to it by that Agreement.
The last line is something you don’t hear much on Fox News. Here’s another little tragic tidbit:
Since October 2000, Israeli aircraft have regularly violated Lebanese sovereignty by flying into Lebanese airspace, at times crossing the Blue Line. They frequently penetrate deep into Lebanese territory and generate sonic booms over populated areas. The Government of Israel claims that these overflights are carried out for security reasons. Hezbollah anti-aircraft fire has fallen across the Blue Line into Israel. Such fire has caused Israeli casualties.
I, and my representatives in the region, have called upon the parties to cease violations of the Blue Line in either direction and refrain from escalatory acts, which have caused casualties on both sides. As we have stated, one violation does not justify another.
Tragically no one listened…
Pax
