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Analysis: Crisis Sparks Fears of Wider War

Council on Foreign Relations

Updated: July 27, 2006
Prepared by: CFR.org Staff

After Israel suffers its bloodiest day since launching an offensive against Lebanon two weeks ago, the country's security cabinet decides not to expand its mission in Lebanon (Haaretz). The government does, however, call up thousands of reserve troops in preparation for a wider war (WashPost). The conflict could well spill into other regions; Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's number two leader, called July 27 for Muslims around the world to join in the fight against Israel (Guardian).

Talks in Rome between U.S., European, and Arab foreign ministers, joined by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, failed to find a formula for a ceasefire (MSNBC) between Israel and the Lebanon-based militia of Hezbollah. But a broad consensus emerged that a strong international peacekeeping force has to be part of the longer-term solution (al-Jazeera), and most argued over American objections that Syria and Iran had to be part of the discussion. CFR President Richard N. Haass tells cfr.org's Bernard Gwertzman in this interview that the United States should open talks with Syria and Iran, calling Washington's reluctance to deal with the two countries a major impediment to achieving U.S. objectives in the Middle East. This Washington Post analysis says the wide gap between the United States and Europe over how to deal with the ongoing crisis is yet another setback to President Bush’s foreign policy in a second term full of missteps and disappointments.

In Israel on Tuesday, Rice won conditional support from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for the idea of a foreign peacekeeping force (LAT), possibly led by NATO, on the southern Lebanese border. But officials in Israel, and American officials in unattributed comments, underscored Washington's support (CSMonitor) for the Israeli aim of degrading Hezbollah militarily, even if there are disagreements on methods.

Read the rest of this article on the cfr.org website.

Copyright 2006 by the Council on Foreign Relations. This material is republished on GlobalSecurity.org with specific permission from the cfr.org. Reprint and republication queries for this article should be directed to cfr.org.