Renewed violence broke out in Beirut Thursday after Hassan Nasrallah’s speech declaring that “war has begun.”

Nasrallah’s speech cited government actions as tantamount to a declaration of war. His comments steming from Lebanon’s recent move to stop Hezbollah’s uncensored telecommunications network that is used to communicate between cells.

“We believe the war has started, and we believe that we have the right to defend ourselves,” the Hezbollah leader said. “We will cut the hand that will reach out to the weapons of the resistance, no matter if it comes from the inside or the outside.”

Hezbollah made statements Thursday, stating that if the government “[withdrew] their decision there would be no war.” However, Hezbollah’s television outlet announced that the organization had rejected calls by the leader of the ruling parliamentary bloc for talks led by a new president.

Lebanese parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri blamed Nasrallah for “starting a new round of horror” and called on the army to intervene.

The major lesson that should be extracted from these events is American intervention is counter-productive in the region. The Shi’ites and Sunnis, regardless of locale in the region have vowed war upon one another and no amount of UN or NATO intervention is going to bring about a revolutionary peace.

One can easy draw parallels between Lebanon and Iraq. Close to 20 years after America intervened on behalf of peace in Lebanon there is still sectarian violence and wanton destruction. That gives little hope for an end in Iraq.

America propped one regime up to the detriment of the opposing side in both nations. In both conflicts America blamed outside force from neighboring governments - Syria & Iran – for the continuation of the war.

America ended Lebanon’s 1989 civil war with the installation of the current government and the ratification of the Taif Agreement. The agreement called for the disarmament of all militias, except that of Hezbollah.

Lebonan’s Hezbollah is little different from that of Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi army. When will the time come for Iraq and America to call for all militias, except that of al-Sadr, to be disbanded?

Talks of concessions at the behest of the Iranian government is already in the works for legitimizing the band of thugs. Once they are seen as a legitimate, yet opposing military wing of the government, the toothpaste will be out of tube, so to speak.

Yet, none of these solutions have worked or have shown any promise of eventually working. America’s response remains resolute: Intervene throughout the world. The history surrounding the region is too complex for military solutions that perpetuate unending wars that do nothing but consume people’s lives and the economic fortitude of America.

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