Juan Cole On The Lebanese Army And Israel

He argues that cutting off aid money to the Lebanese army suites Israel but goes against the American national interest:

The allegation, which originates in propaganda offices in Israel, that the Lebanese armed forces have somehow been taken over by or infiltrated by Hizbullah is frankly ridiculous. The most powerful officers are Maronite Christians, and President Michel Sulaiman had been chief of staff before becoming president [..] The silly allegation about Hizbullah and the LAF is a smear, and derives from Tel Aviv’s unease with not being able to have its way with Lebanon at will.

Of course, the fact that he’s Christian is not the greatest of arguments, as many Christians may have their interests aligned with those of Hezbollah. But the fact remains that as soon as the Lebanese army exercised a little bit of sovereignty, the Israelis freaked out and sent their minions to lobby in Washington against arming it.

Bonus: The Daily Star’s Editorial is making a similar argument this morning.