Keeping the peace in Lebanon goes beyond the U.N.

President Bush and Israel's leaders have demanded that a new peacekeeping force, possibly drawn from outside the United Nations, must be created with the firepower and authority to disarm Hezbollah and help the Beirut government keep the peace in southern Lebanon.

But the prospect of engaging Hezbollah comes with its own hazards. Hezbollah's military wing is not a ragtag militia, easily contained or crushed. Born in the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 as an unruly armed band, the group evolved into a disciplined military force that drove Israel's army out of the country in May 2000.

Hezbollah is also operating in its power base. Its military wing is drawn from young men from the same southern Lebanon villages that Israel is currently bombarding. Its vast social welfare network in the impoverished, underdeveloped region strengthens its local support base.