Jim Risch actually said...

there is no politics without Hezbollah, there is no equilibrium or balance or stability without Hezbollah.

the lesson--unsatisfying as it might seem--is that outside actors, the U.S. among them, should deal cautiously with Lebanese affairs.

Lebanon has been a regional center for finance and trade for centuries, and has always been an important nation in the Middle East.

But, it also sits in a very rough neighborhood today, with many outside forces attempting to upset the balance among its sectarian political...