When Israel launched its brutal war on Lebanon in 2006, France was a key country involved in halting the aggression against Lebanon and sending its soldiers to the south as part of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which Paris made gigantic efforts to conclude. Today, and since the recent incident that befell UN peacekeeping troops in the south, and particularly the French battalion, there is a new development. Some circles in Lebanon's opposition are once again targeting the security agreements signed by Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud with his French counterpart, Brice Hortefeux. These agreements were agreed to by the Lebanese president and government. Baroud, who is known for his aptitude and professionalism, apprised all officials concerned, including opposition ministers, of these documents. The question today is: Why these campaigns against France? Is it because Paris, through its soldiers, protects stability and safety of territory in south Lebanon? Why the accusations, which France considers insulting, that it has conducted a deal with Israel in the event it launches a war against Lebanon? These campaigns against France by Hezbollah and its allies raise questions about the party's intention with regard to Lebanon's position in the world and its friends, such as France. France has normal relations with Hezbollah ministers in the government. Its ambassador in Lebanon, Denis Pietton, is a leading expert in regional affairs at the French Foreign Ministry, and he enjoys ties with everyone in Lebanon. No one can accuse him of being biased toward any side; he is a skilled diplomat and is well known in French and Arab circles for his competent work. What is behind these campaigns? Is it the beginning of an attempt to move Lebanon away from its western friends and change its position on the international map, to the benefit of Hezbollah's ally Iran in its confrontation with the international community over its nuclear weapons program? Or does Hezbollah want Lebanon to stand alone, with Iran and Syria? Syria has good relations with France, as Claude Gueant, the secretary general of the French presidency, told Al-Hayat. If Iran wanted to use the Hezbollah card in Lebanon in its confrontation with the international community, this is very worrying for Lebanon, and the future of UNIFIL troops in the country. Paris will renew its troops' mandate at the end of August, but these campaigns against France are not useful for their future, for the cause of the safety of Lebanese territory. The units undertake social activities, in education and schools, which are needed by the people of the south. Will Iran's battle with the world begin on Lebanese territory? Is there anger in the Lebanese army and government that the head of the French battalion wants to implement his force's mission, as part of 1701, to the letter, and the fact that he is committed to the freedom of movement for his soldiers, without being accompanied by the army? Ambassador Pietton said the principle of peacekeeping troops is based on the freedom of movement for soldiers, and no one can imagine peacekeeping troops remaining in their barracks. Everyone knows that the Lebanese army's deployment to the south did not take place for years, until 2006, and the agreement on UNSCR 1701. This was because the Lebanese army was not sufficiently capable of performing the mission of protecting the safety of the territory of the south, and despite the army's adherence to intensifying its presence on the ground in the south, UNIFIL and France estimate that there are 3,500 Lebanese soldiers, while the official number given by the government is 6,000. All of this vagueness, the campaigns against UNIFIL, and the security agreement with France, might all constitute warning messages about the repercussions of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and an indictment in the assassination of former Premier Rafiq Hariri. Lebanese opposition groups were targeting France for Iran, and there is no doubt that this will constitute an embarrassment for Franco-Syrian relations, which have become strong since Nicholas Sarkozy took office. Will this embarrassment create a bigger margin of maneuver for Syria, so that its intervention is continuously requested? This is also a possibility. As for the STL, if the messages were directed at countries that are funding the court, they are useless, since the tribunal has become independent and will pursue the case to the end. Judge Daniel Bellemare is moving ahead with his mission and has said many times that there is funding available for the STL this year. Thus, nothing will halt the path toward an indictment. The campaigns against France and western countries are powerless and only serve the cause of instability in Lebanon, which is in need of tranquility and security, and good relations with the international community, and especially traditional friends such as France.
