Swap vexes Geagea, foils bids to undermine Hizbullah

Source: Al-Manar, 17-10-2007
What makes "acceptable swap deal" treason to international resolutions? In an interview with Al-Jazeera satellite channel Tuesday, Lebanese Forces chief and key February 14 figure Samir Geagea, dismissed Monday`s swap between Hizbullah and "Israel" as "treason to all international resolutions."
Hizbullah exchanged the body of an "Israeli" settler from Ethiopian origins with the bodies of two Islamic Resistance martyrs and a detainee. The swap deal was reached through the mediation of a special representative of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
Ban welcomed the swap as an exchange of humanitarian initiatives between Hizbullah and "Israel". In his statement, the UN chief called for releasing the rest of the prisoners on both sides.
Monday`s swap was the first to take place after the 2006 "Israeli" war against Lebanon and after UN resolution 1701 was issued to stop hostilities in Lebanon, but not to impose a ceasefire. It was also the first such operation after the Lebanese army deployed in south of the Litani River along with the UNIFIL.
UN resolution 1701 was issued after resolution 1559 which calls for disarming Hizbullah.
In further analyses, the swap put resolution 1701 under the spotlight, again. According to Assafir daily, the "Lebanese government" which has all US and international support it needs, is not the side which is implementing the "prisoners exchange" article of the resolution. Moreover, this event comes on the eve of a report to be presented by Ban to the Security Council over what has been so far achieved from the resolution.
The paradox, however, is that resolution 1701 addressed the Lebanese government stating that it exclusively takes on implementing the "prisoners exchange" article along with the "Israeli" government. However, Fouad Saniora`s government seemed to know very little about this file and the fate of the detainees, therefore there is no one but Hizbullah to cut the deal.
Ultimately, this is what happened.
But, how did this whole process become treason to international resolution, given the facts that the mediator was appointed by the UN chief and the UNIFIL played a logistic part in the swap?
It is evident Hizbullah has been under lots of international and local pressure. The aim was to crush, curb, isolate, demonize and undermine Hizbullah. This was not possible politically in the wake of the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Martyr Rafik Hariri, so resolution 1559 was issued; it was also not possible militarily during the 2006 "Israeli" war against Lebanon, so resolution 1701 was issued.
Geagea and his Lebanese Forces were "Israel`s" allies during its invasion and occupation of Lebanon in the 1980`s. In the mid 80`s, LF militiamen kidnapped five Iranian diplomats and handed them to "Israel". Hopes are rising that the larger-scale swap expected sometime in the future would also include them.
So, were LF chief Samir Geagea`s comments on "treason" an expression of fury over lost efforts to curb Hizbullah? Who betrayed what? Did the UN betray its own self or did "Israel" betray UN resolutions by indirectly talking to Hizbullah? Who deserves to be called "traitor", a friend or a foe? Isn`t Geagea stance clear and convincing proof that friendship and alliance never overtop "Israel`s" own interests?