When can we stop talking about Lebanon?

I should think that many wonder why such a little country (Lebanon is roughly the size of Connecticut) should create such an international stir. In a way, Lebanon is kind of the Poland of the Middle East, by which I mean it is the country that gets run over by other people's wars. Though Lebanon has experience its own civil war, that conflict was the result of external interference, not to mention its colonial history which made it into the sectarian nation that it is today. All of the above have left Lebanon weak, allowing groups like Hezbollah to flourish. I think it goes without saying that Israel's attack on Lebanon did not win it any fans in the Middle East, though Hezbollah did not win the whole-hearted support of the entire population either. From what I observed, people are saavy enough to understand just how the conflict started. (Read this article by Michael Young, editor of the Daily Star, to see his perspective on Hezbollah's standing in Lebanon.) While many people may not be too happy with Hezbollah, there is no denying that Hezbollah came out of this conflict stronger than ever. Basically, just by surviving the attack by Israel, Hezbollah proved that it is a strong military force in the region. One TV news report pointed out that on the day before the ceasefire, Hezbollah launched more rockets than any other day during the attack, proving that it still has a significant arsenal - basically, it sent a message to Israel (and to the U.S.) that it is still standing. This also sends a message to Hezbollah's financial supporters that it is a good investment - I expect that Hezbollah will not disarm, but rather will become more skilled and better equipped. Perhaps Hezbollah will have to go underground to avoid U.N. forces, but I expect that it will be around for a very long time, and that it is preparing for a larger confrontation with Israel.

It appears that the Israelis are not too happy with their government and its handling of the conflict. Obviously, none of the objectives were met - the soldiers were not returned and Hezbollah is still around. Amnesty International is accusing Israel of war crimes (I will look into this more), and Israeli reservists are protesting the handling of the war, claiming they were sent into battle without enough food and water. I fear that we are only at the beginning of a major regional conflict. Indeed, I think the signs are all there as the tensions continue to rise. Another outcome of the conflict in Lebanon has been a bolder Iran. Its proxy did well, and now we have seen that Israel isn't the invincible force that we once believed it to be. I think during the nuclear negotiations, Iran will only agree to a settlement on its own terms. I think Iran waited for the outcome of the conflict in Lebanon before it proceeded with the nuclear negotiations so that it had a clearer picture of what it could get away with.