Obama and Hezb'allah

As it appears Sen. Obama will be the Democratic canditate, I will publish here his own positions and let you take them in. For now, here is his take on Lebanon, which seems to be falling to Syria's henchmen as we speak. Let's all hold hands and sing. Also, send money to the UN to continue its fine work. I don't want to be overly critical, but do we need another Jimmy Carter or Neville Chamberlain?

Hezb'allah's power grab in Beirut has once more plunged that city into violence and chaos. This effort to undermine Lebanon's elected government needs to stop, and all those who have influence with Hezb'allah must press them to stand down immediately. It's time to engage in diplomatic efforts to help build a new Lebanese consensus that focuses on electoral reform, an end to the current corrupt patronage system, and the development of the economy that provides for a fair distribution of services, opportunities and employment. We must support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions that reinforce Lebanon's sovereignty, especially resolution 1701 banning the provision of arms to Hezb'allah, which is violated by Iran and Syria. As we push for this national consensus, we should continue to support the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Siniora, strengthen the Lebanese army, and insist on the disarming of Hezb'allah before it drags Lebanon into another unnecessary war. As we do this, it is vital that the United States continues to work with the international community and the private sector to rebuild Lebanon and get its economy back on its feet.