What Can Pakistan
Do to Stop Israel and Hezbollah
By Haider Mullick
mullicks2@gmail.com
When it comes to remedying crises
in the Middle East, whether it is Israeli occupation
or suicide bombings in Jerusalem, Pakistan is thought
to hold little or no political, economic or military
clout. It is understood by Arabs and the Western
world that Pakistan is not part of the Middle East,
not a member of the Arab League and, above all,
cannot be a helpful broker abroad while fighting
terrorists in its northern province and nationalist
insurgents in Baluchistan.
Pakistan, however, is the only Muslim nuclear power,
with the world’s eighth largest military comprised
of more than half a million active soldiers, and
shares its western border with Iran. Pakistan can
deploy a stabilization force in Lebanon within days.
Building on the recent diplomatic connections with
Israel, the likelihood of the Iranian gas pipeline
project, and close US-Pak relations, Pakistan has
a unique opportunity to persuade Hezbollah and Israel
to sign a ceasefire. The United States, Europe,
Arab nations, and the United Nations have greater
influence as well as vested interests in stopping
further escalation of the present crisis into Palestine,
Lebanon and possibly Syria and Iran, but Pakistan
is the ideal peace catalyst. It has never participated
in any of the Israeli-Arab wars or funded families
of suicide bombers in Lebanon or Palestine. Now
is the time for a stabilization force from a nuclear
non-Arab Muslim power to exert diplomatic influence
and provide military leadership by brokering a ceasefire
between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel and Hezbollah share a mutual fixation on
complete and merciless annihilation. This odium
goes beyond the kidnapped Israeli soldiers or thousands
of Hezbollah prisoners. It is a problem of double
consciousness: Israeli foreign policy is divided
by liberal concessions towards a two-state solution
resulting in mutual coexistence with Palestine and
the Arab World, and hawkish notions of one Israel
with a Puerto Rican Palestine. Hezbollah is divided
into a military wing dedicated to the destruction
of Israel and a social wing dedicated to construction
of schools and hospitals in Lebanon. While Hezbollians
misfire substandard short-range Iranian and Syrian
supplied rockets with the hope of killing Israeli
soldiers and civilians Israelis launch American
supplied precision missiles to destroy Hezbollah
and, undeniably, kill hundreds in collateral damage.
Because of all of this and much more for many years
the Middle Eastern peace process lies dead like
the Dead Sea.
Pakistan can make things better. First and foremost
both sides must sign a momentary ceasefire. This
should be followed by a 20,000 to 30,000-strong
Pakistani UN supported stabilizing force to Lebanon
for maintaining peace and supporting reconstruction
efforts. Jordan and Egypt, active and influential
members of the Arab League, must also provide troops
under a UN mandate, and other affluent Arab nations
such as Saudi Arabia should share the bill. These
countries must work hard to persuade the United
States not to veto another UN ceasefire resolution,
and, they must market the value of peace and the
dreadful picture of full blown regional war.
The exact nature of Israeli-Hezbollah compromise
is the responsibility of these two parties; Pakistan,
however, along with other members of the international
community can act as peace catalysts by ensuring
security and short-term stability in Lebanon. Hezbollah
must disband its military wing and South Lebanon
must come under full Lebanese constitutional control.
Consequently, Israel must respect international
borders, recognize the reformed Hezbollah as a political
party, and sign a peace treaty with Lebanon.
This is more easily said than done. To begin with,
Pakistan’s army seems to be doubly overstretched
in the war on terror and a homegrown nationalist
insurgency, not to mention the recent cancellation
of peace talks with India after the gruesome terrorist
attacks in Mumbai, which may again end up in a massive
border troop deployment reminiscent of the aftermath
of New Delhi terrorist attacks of December 2001.
But with an active force of more than half a million
soldiers, 30,000 troops supported by the UN and
the Arab League can be sent without upsetting national
commitments.
Unlike the European Union, the Arab League lacks
the cohesion and consistency, not to mention the
monetary support, needed for such a commitment.
The realists would say – it all comes down
to the usual solution – Lebanon must take
billions of US dollars in aid like Egypt and Jordan
in exchange for disbanding Hezbollah, distancing
itself from Syria and Iran, and embracing Israel
as a de facto reality. Or, for once the Muslim world
can stand up as a unified economic and military
unit by engaging Israel in a peace process backed
by the United Nations and supported by Pakistani
military leadership. This would set precedent for
the Israeli-Palestine conflict and stop the potential,
colossal damage of a full-scale war with Syria and
possibly Iran. Pakistan’s military engagement
to push for a ceasefire would provide security for
Syria, and postpone any Iranian or American intervention.
If this engagement is successful then Pakistan will
enter a new era of regional leadership of a Middle
East heading towards economic prosperity. On the
other hand, if this crisis erupts and Iran steps
in to support Syria, United States will have to
move its over-stretched and barely sufficient military
resources from Iraq. That will put the nail in the
coffin of any real chance for a prosperous and stable
Iraq. All major players including Lebanon, Israel,
Iraq, Iran, Syria and United States would benefit
from a Pakistani stabilization force.
To avoid a full-scale regional confrontation involving
Israel, Lebanon, and Syria, and possibly Iran, Pakistan,
as the only Muslim nuclear power must intervene
now as a peace catalyst to push for a ceasefire
under the auspices of the United Nations. The stabilization
force recently advocated by UN's Kofi Annan and
UK's Tony Blair is a good start. However, Pakistan's
government and the world community must act quickly
and intelligently to make the stabilization force
a reality.
This force must stop the increasingly disproportionate
number of civilian casualties in Lebanon, and aid
more than half a million trapped Lebanese refuges.
The recent delaying of US Secretary of State's visit
to the war-torn region is a sign of US reluctance
to push for a ceasefire but this should not deter
the rest of the international community. It is time
for Pakistan to assert itself as an independent
Muslim military power set on contributing to peace
and stability in the world.
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