Issues

Lebanon

US Leadership Can Lead To Comprehensive Peace

Posted on Wednesday August 16, 2006

• After a month of war, hundreds of needless deaths, and the near-total destruction of Lebanon’s infrastructure, US engagement with the international community is what finally secured a ceasefire. The issues facing Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine are political ones that must be resolved at the negotiating table. This latest crisis has made clear that policies which forgo long-term solutions for short-term security are both dangerous and unsustainable. The United States must engage as an honest and fair mediator with all parties in the region to secure a lasting, comprehensive peace.

• A lasting ceasefire and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1701, 1559, and the Taef Accords will be a difficult process requiring patience and diligence. The democratically elected Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and other Lebanese officials have proven their commitment to peace and national reconciliation. We must be cognizant of the very real danger of Lebanon again dissolving into civil war if this process fails to address the needs of all segments of society. If the Lebanese people are to make tough choices for peace, then we must support them and provide them with the means to achieve national unity and prosperity. The United States should send an envoy to carry on the tough, sustained, day-to-day diplomatic efforts that a sustained ceasefire will require. The United States must remain committed to the ceasefire and should send an envoy to Lebanon to set conditions for national reconciliation and a comprehensive peace.

• The Lebanese people continue to face a humanitarian crisis and hundreds of thousands of civilians are returning to homes and businesses which have been destroyed. As these civilians rebuild their lives, the international community must quickly develop a robust reconstruction effort which reaches all portions of Lebanese territory.

• Over the past fifteen years, the Lebanese people have rebuilt their capital and their country from a devastating civil war. They face that the same challenge again. Generous US financial assistance to rebuild Lebanon would display US commitment to a deserving and strategic ally. The United States should play a leading role at an international donor’s conference with participation by the European Union and major Arab donors.

• With the world focused on the suffering of Lebanese and Israeli civilians, there is a danger that the suffering in Gaza will be overlooked. Since fighting began in late June, almost two hundred Palestinians have lost their lives. The United States should continue to work with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and support efforts to achieve a national consensus for peace. A political solution is the only way forward. The United States must reassert its commitment to a negotiated settlement resulting in two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

• In the coming months, US leadership will not only benefit Lebanese, Palestinians, and Israelis, but will be an important signal to the broader Arab world. We must regain the credibility and trust required for our policies to be effective. The United States must take bold steps for peace and pursue a foreign policy which projects American values abroad.