Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora sent two letters to the United Nations, complaining about Israel. In the first letter Siniora wrote that Israel had violated Lebanese sovereignty through threats. In the other he said that Israel refused turn over maps highlighting locations of cluster bombs.

“The first letter was in relation to Israeli threats and violations and the second was in relation to cluster bombs,” the statement said.

“Siniora affirmed that Lebanon is the victim of Israeli occupation and that the threats … do not exempt Israel from implementing its responsibilities according to Resolution 1701,” it went on to say.

“There is no excuse whatsoever for any aggressive action Israel might undertake against Lebanon in the future,” it finished.

Siniora’s words are a sign that Lebanon fears that Tel Aviv may very well decide to act against Hezbollah once again. When Israel invaded southern Lebanon in 2006, the Lebanese government was not able to resist. At the same time, however, Siniora made perfectly clear that his administration considered the Israeli attack illegal and, perhaps above all else, ineffective.

Lebanon has had tremendous difficult dealing with extremists within its territory for years. In addition to homegrown extremists, Lebanon has been used as a tool by neighboring countries. Israel and Syria, for instance, have fought against each other for years in Lebanon, resulting in Lebanon being invaded by both. 

Siniora, then, is not merely attacking Israel in the letters; he is trying to appeal to the international community to force countries to take Lebanon seriously, and to deal with it like with any other independent state.