Italy to Lead UN Lebanon Security Force - Who Wins?

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The Israelis have asked the Italians to lead the new UN beefed up security force in Lebanon.

As I was interested in knowing the reason, I looked up Italy on the website for the Israeli Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Both countries have been a target of terrorism. A slate as March 2004, Italy was attacked in the Madrid Train Bombings. As such, the Italy wishes to stop terrorism at any cost. Therefore, on 4 December 1986, after an attack on one of its passenger liners, the ‘Achille Lauro’, they made the ‘Israel-Italy Agreement on the Struggle Against Terrorism’. It is an agreement to share information about terrorism and other crimes known to the two countries.

In my opinion, Olmert believes that the Italians will give him any information they have on Hezbollah, as well as make sure that Hezbollah cannot function in Lebanon.

But, has Israel made a grave mistake?

In June this year, Massimo d'Alema was sworn in as Italian foreign minister. On a 12 June 2002 speech in California, he referred to Israel as a 'terrorist state' and implied that the Palestinians were slightly justified in the killing of Israeli men, women and children.

Is this the man who Israel can rely on to close this war, or does he want to close the flow of information between Israel and Italy? Will he let the Lebanese government take over, or will he help lead the Hezbollah to another war?

Of course, his goal would not to be war, but to a weaker Israel and stronger Palestine. There would also be hundreds of casulaties.

But, does he care? He'll say, 'Suicide bombing is sort of right'.