Right now, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is smiling. Death and destruction make him happy -- especially when it advances his maniacal schemes and especially when those doing the dying have coffins draped by the Star of David. However, Ahmadinejad also cares little about his Muslim brethren dying in Lebanon. As a matter of fact, dead Lebanese make him smile even wider.
In the chess match known as the Middle East, Ahmadinejad is an evil Kasparov, and Hezbollah is simply his pawn -- employed to sacrifice itself in order to test the strengths, weaknesses and strategy of the opposition. After all, it is widely known that Iran provides the majority of Hezbollah's funding, and, after the latest attacks on Israel, it is clear that Iran has provided much of Hezbollah's military training and weapon systems. While the extent of the collaboration between Iran and Hezbollah is shrouded in secrecy, Ahmadinejad's greasy fingerprints are all over this past week's violence.
Thus, while the Iranian president may not be directly issuing the orders for this week's offensive against Israel, I can guarantee that he is taking copious notes on the Israeli and world reactions. Each night, when Ahmadinejad goes home from a long day of tyranny to read his notes, I can't help but think he is smiling once again -- he must love the hypocritical criticism that much of the world has directed at Israel.
When a terrorist organization covertly entered their sovereign country, kidnapped two of their soldiers and left under the menacing illuminations of Katyusha rockets, Israel retaliated. Instead of addressing the malicious intentions of Hezbollah or the ineptitude of the Lebanese government, world leaders from Europe to the Middle East criticized Israel for overreacting. Ahmadinejad smiles wide at the deaths of Lebanese citizens because their casualties have helped spawn anti-Israeli sentiment, and thereby have furthered the nefarious Iranian's cause. It's frightening to contemplate what conclusions Ahmadinejad can draw from the world's reaction.
Furthermore, Ahmadinejad must be smiling because much of his proverbial workload has been lifted by such men as Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Otari, who suggested that "a cease-fire and a prisoner swap would be fair" in order to end the crisis. In other words, he suggested that Israel legitimize Hezbollah's terror tactics as a means for political gain. Ahmadinejad smiles because he knows that crafty rhetoric with a facade of moderation and a desire for peace does not actually bring moderation or peace. With this violence, it has become very clear that the leaders of Syria and Iran have no desire for a peaceful resolution to the problems in the Middle East.
As three Israeli soldiers remain in captivity and as the death toll ascends to 25 in Israel and 230 in Lebanon, it is tragic that the leader who wields the most influence over Hezbollah is implicitly and explicitly promoting violence rather than stepping in to curb it. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in a speech to the Knesset, stated, "Israel did not ask for these confrontations. To the contrary, we have done a great deal to prevent them." It is unfortunate that leaders throughout the Arab world, especially Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, do not feel or act in the same way.
Thus, as the burden of peace falls on the hands of the non-Arab world, it is crucial for world leaders to remember that the current situation stretches far beyond a confrontation with a terrorist organization operating within a weak country. Rather, this crisis is one of the opening moves of the insidious chess strategy of a tyrant. This past week's fighting between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah may only be a window into even more terrifying things to come. With that said, the solutions to the violence must also include an awareness of the dark forces lurking beneath the surface. Ahmadinejad must be watched closely, his contributions to terrorism must be curbed and his destabilizing political presence in the region must be limited.
