By Andrew L. Jaffee

Remember that “President Jacques Chirac of France called Israel’s acts [in Lebanon] ‘disproportionate.’” So… call for disarming Hezbollah, condemn Israel for trying to disarm Hezbollah, but when push comes to shove, let Israel disarm Hezbollah. Make sense?

Passing resolutions at the U.N. is one thing. Enforcing those resolutions is another. Remember Resolution 1559, co-authored by France, which “Call[ed] for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias?” This was adopted in 2004. What happened? Hezbollah was allowed to fester and build up an arsenal of 13,000 rockets.

France has now co-authored Resolution 1701, which calls for the “removal from southern Lebanon of Hezbollah as an armed force.” But will France enforce the new resolution? From the BBC:

French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie voiced concern about deploying troops without clearly defined goals.

“France wants the mission’s rules of engagement to be clear and it to have real means,” she told French TV.

“Sadly, all too often, the United Nations forces don’t have the power that they asked for.”

The main political parties share such reservations.

Jacques Myard, an MP in France’s governing UMP party and a member of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, told the BBC the last UN resolution did not make it clear how France can act.

“I know that a lot of military, high-ranking officials in France are reluctant if this mandate is not very precise,” he said.

The opposition socialists have also warned that “extreme vigilance” is needed, saying the UN resolution does nothing to address the conditions necessary for a political agreement that would guarantee the security of peacekeeping forces.

Above all, France wants to avoid a situation where its own soldiers find themselves having to disarm Hezbollah fighters.

---

---

Related: Israel, Europe, Lebanon, Terrorist Groups, United Nations (UN)

---