Feet To The Fire

I have my doubts about the Lebanese peace plan — at least as far as the Lebanese army is concerned.

Following the lethal Qana air strikes, variations on the photo above were widely distributed.  The images showed protesters smashing the windows of the U.N. building in downtown Beirut shortly after the civilian deaths were reported.

What didn’t get much exposure was this shot by LAT photographer Robert Gauthier which I stumbled across in a Times photo gallery a couple weeks ago.  It grabbed me at the time, but it does so even more today, given the prominent role of the Lebanese in disarming Hezbollah and enforcing the ceasefire.

In the shot, the Lebanese military personnel, looking otherwise able and well trained, merely stand across the way, watching the other scene.

(images: Robert Gauthier / LAT.  July 30, 2006.  Beirut)