The Second Lebanon War, as Seen from the White House
Having failed to achieve its military goals, Israel could not achieve its diplomatic goals.
August 15, 2017
The Second Lebanon War, as Seen from the White House
Having failed to achieve its military goals, Israel could not achieve its diplomatic goals.
When war broke out between Hizballah and Israel in the summer of 2006, the U.S. expected that the IDF would achieve a quick and decisive victory, resulting in a better situation than the status quo ante. Such an outcome would benefit the U.S. and Israel, could help Lebanon break free of Hizballah’s influence, and was even desired by many Arab governments. As the war dragged on, however, then-Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice lost confidence in then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and the possibility of a decisive Israeli victory receded. Elliott Abrams, who at the time served on President Bush’s National Security Council, recalls:
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