Summary

For the first time, "the argument among civilians about Lebanon was present in our conversations up on the line" (153). But few people were willing to say that they didn't understand why they were there, even though the guerrillas were not attacking the Israeli border anymore but instead firing rockets into the country from deeper inside Lebanon. Still, they fear the new problems that might arise if the border is left exposed. By killing soldiers in the security zone, Hezbollah "didn't convince Israelis to leave but rather that the security zone was necessary" (154). Still, this began to change after the helicopter crash. Friedman argues that the conflict between Hezbollah and Isreal is more complex and that Western observers often underestimate "the power of the tribe" and the power of religion (154). The conflict is not merely about liberating or holding onto a piece...