Kofi Annan has again demonstrated that the UN is indispensable for world peace, perhaps more so than the US. His diplomacy has delivered the first significant gains of the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.
If that fragile cessation sticks for some time, it will be because the UN imprimatur over the peacekeeping force is helping to allay Arab fear of Israeli power. At the same time, the presence of NATO troops from Europe and Turkey helps to allay Israeli fear that this is yet another trick to give a breathing space to its enemies.
Yes, this could have been a breathing space for Israel’s enemies. But Annan knocked on doors and banged heads personally right after the ceasefire to ensure that the EU sends enough ground troops. He also ensured that the naval blockade to interdict arms shipments to Hezbollah continues after Israel withdraws.
Israel’s naval blockade was stifling delivery of humanitarian aid to Lebanon and delaying a serious start to that country’s reconstruction. Annan managed to negotiate a deal that was implemented within 48 hours and persuaded Germany to take the historic step of sending 2000 navy troops on warships to patrol Lebanese harbors.
When France said it would send just 200 soldiers for UNIFIL, UN diplomats maneuvered to persuade Italy’s left wing government to up the ante by sending 2,000 troops. That shamed France’s center-right regime into playing catch up. Annan addressed the EU ministerial meeting that pledged nearly 8,000 European troops, far beyond initial expectations.
If Hezbollah does not raid Israeli territory again, that will be partly because UN diplomacy is restraining its hands. If Israel hesitates to attack Lebanese territory, that will be partly because UN diplomacy has brought a mainly NATO force into the buffer zone.
If Lebanese civilians withhold their support when Hezbollah wants to turn violent again, that will be partly because the naval blockade is no longer obstructing reconstruction. This is a crucial aspect of the entire post war situation. If reconstruction happens too slowly, the violence could start again.
In the dangerous hours and days after cessation of hostilities, the military situation was extremely unstable and the slightest misunderstandings could have caused guns to blaze again. The political situation was also very fragile. Almost nothing in resolution 1701 was clear. Most of its contents expressed hope rather than feasible measures. Yet, the UN managed to bring enough clarity through diplomacy to establish close collaboration among the Washington, EU and other countries.
At the same time, the UN worked effectively with the humanitarian agencies to deliver assistance despite the Israeli blockade. The aftermath of war is as foggy as the war. In that fog, it is a Herculean task to prevent weapons and al Qaeda terrorists from entering Lebanon under cover of humanitarian work.
When, if ever, Lebanese politicians work through their differences to bring Hezbollah into the fold of peaceful politics, their achievements will receive international legitimacy through the UN.
So far, things are progressing more or less safely. We should keep our fingers crossed but also recognize that the habitual denigration of UN diplomacy by many American legislators and some media stems from arrogance and obfuscation.
They are annoyed that the UN is not an instrument of US foreign policy although American created it and pays over 22% of its budget. They ignore the other 191 members, including all of the wealthy Western nations, China, Japan, Russia, India, South Africa and Brazil. These others pay 78% of the UN budget, contribute heavily for peacekeeping and provide over 70% of the budgets of the UN system’s main agencies, including the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
Unless America plans to move to another planet, its citizens and voters must realize that their government cannot achieve some key foreign policy goals without help from other countries. Most of those countries trust the UN more than they do the US to organize that cooperation.
It is true that US leadership is vital for many aspects of the UN’s work. It is equally true that the UN is too important for the US to ignore or disparage without moderation.
This is a sensitive relationship because the UN expresses the will of many countries whether or not that suits Americans. Yet, neither the UN nor the US can push the other aside. Both are handcuffed together for better or worse.