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"In what is becoming a yearly ritual, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2433 end of August, extending the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year. The usual actors played their familiar scripted roles: Hezbollah restated its red lines through its habitual threats. Hezbollah's little helper, "the Lebanese government," demanded the world continue with the status quo and otherwise keep quiet, and, finally, the Europeans, namely France, led the charge at the UN Security Council to ensure the Lebanese got what they wanted, and blocked any attempt by the United States to introduce amendments to the mandate.

There was one change from last year's performance, however. Whereas a year ago U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley expressed optimism at the minor and entirely cosmetic changes the United States did manage to introduce, this year, Amb. Haley didn't even attend the voting session and declined to issue a statement afterwards.
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The United States did manage to add an expression of 'concern' over the publicized visits last year by commanders of Iranian-led Shi'ite militias to the Blue Line. Needless to say, there was no holding the Lebanese to account. Instead, when not praising them effusively, UNSCR 2433 robotically continues the practice of urging more international funding for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in order to extend 'the control of the Government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory.'

All of which underscores why this approach is a fool's errand. It's not just because not one European country would agree to any meaningful changes to the UNIFIL mission, but also because the force's mandate is predicated on coordination with the Lebanese government and the LAF. That would be the LAF which chaperoned Hezbollah's media tour along the Blue Line last year. As for the Lebanese government, a couple of weeks ahead of the vote to extend UNIFIL's mandate, the Minister of Finance Ali Hassan Khalil declared in an interview that in 2006, 'There were those who thought of taking advantage of the Israeli aggression to pounce on the Resistance and the weapons of Hezbollah.' Khalil then added, 'Today, it is forbidden to raid the Resistance's arms depots, and any idea of pulling the arms to beyond the Litani River, we refuse to even discuss.' That is, lest anyone harbor any illusions about what 'coordinating' with the LAF and 'extending government authority' actually mean.
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Both the LAF and UNIFIL share the same objective of not disturbing the status quo, which is to say, not to cross Hezbollah's red lines. In turn, this raises a question about the point of underwriting this arrangement altogether, while pretending UNIFIL is doing something that it clearly cannot and will not do. Instead, UNIFIL has become more akin to yet another UN aid agency. It clears minefields, and works 'together with the Lebanese authorities, in creating the conditions conducive for the population to build their future.' It also 'works closely with many municipalities and local authorities to strongly support their communities.' It even hires Hezbollah members and supporters!

Beside that, UNIFIL, as Hezbollah's effective threats have demonstrated, functions as hostages or human shields of sorts..."

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