Lebanon, believe it or not, use to be a majority christian nation. It has been and is being torn apart and is living on the edge. This is all setting the stage for the Psalm 83 War. It looms, and Lebanon is listed among the ancient names God laid out.
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The sign at the entrance of the barracks of the United Nations’ peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) reads:
“Better Late Than Never.”
When tensions rise between Israel and Lebanon, some worry UNIFIL isn’t strong or fast enough to intervene.
“We are not here to fight,” says Maj. Sabindra Nagarkoti of UNIFIL. “Our mandate says we are here just to monitor and support the (Lebanese) armed forces. Unless we have a threat to UNIFIL troops, we can’t point or shoot our weapons.”
In an interview with Fox News, the commander of UNIFIL forces, Gen. Alberto Asarta of Spain, says the U.S. needs to do more to support the Lebanese military.
“They can help with assets,” said Gen. Asarta. “And also with money, mainly for infrastructure.”
Asarta says there is no proof that Hezbollah has rearmed in southern Lebanon, which would be a violation of UN resolution 1701, the agreement which ended the 33-day war between Israel and Lebanon.
“Israel is violating 1701 by conducting flyovers and by occupying Ghajar,” Asarta said. “And we denounce it. It’s a violation from the Israeli side.”
Ghajar is a village that runs along the Israel-Lebanon border. Part of resolution 1701 calls for full Israeli withdrawal.
Asarta acknowledges that intelligence from other countries suggests that Hezbollah has re-armed. But he adds that the most UNIFIL forces have found are some explosives that were remnants of the 2006 war.
Analysts worry that the next war between Israel and Lebanon could be the deadliest.
Because of Hezbollah’s secretive nature, finding stockpiles of weapons isn’t easy.
“Don’t think you’re going to find Hezbollah bases,” says Timur Goksel, analyst and former senior advisor for UNIFIL. “They don’t have bases. They operate inside of their homes.”
Opinion is divided over Lebanon’s future. Some say as long as Hezbollah remains the most powerful force in Lebanon there is no way the Lebanese army can compete with it.
Others believe Hezbollah has managed to bring stability to some parts of Lebanon where the military cannot.
Either way, ordinary Lebanese are guaranteed to be living in uncertain times.
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myBlessedHope 