Who pays the price for Hizbullah's folly?

Hassan Nasrallah has high expectations of his foes. They are all expected to forgive and forget their enemies, in ways that Nasrallah himself would not approve of.

Why should Saad Hariri abandon the tribunal and give up on trying those who killed his father? Would Hassan Nasrallah abandon his "resistance" and forgive Israel for killing his son?

Sadly, it was Saad Hariri himself who unwittingly lent credibility to this warped logic and these unfair expectations. When he publicly exonerated Syria and acknowledged the existence of "false witnesses" before any indictment was issued, he compromised the tribunal's credibility and set a precedent that Hizbullah pounced on.  The following argument took hold: The investigation was wrong on Syria, with Hariri's own admission, so why wouldn't it be wrong in indicting Hizbullah?

In a way, Hariri failed. But then, the chances for success were slim to none. The May 7 events established Hizbullah as a terror entity that few can stop, including the Saudis who caved in to false notions about a constructive Syrian role. The Saudis deluded themselves, as did others outside the region, by thinking that Assad can separate himself from the Iranian regime. The failure of the "S S" initiative is testament to this shortsightedness, which infected Hariri and some of his allies.

Nasrallah will go on TV again to blabber hysterically, possibly setting the stage for a Hizbullah-led cabinet.  He might be digging his own grave by terrorizing others into submitting to his warped logic. Unfortunately, Lebanon will likely suffer until the time comes when the Iranian-funded militia's terror wears thin. Folks like Jumblatt may think they are preserving civil peace by reversing their positions, but the Druze leader knows very well that he cannot control his men forever.

Hizbullah will not get away with this. Even if they force others into submission, the fault lines have been drawn in blood, and their reign will not be complete or sustainable. If it doesn't come from Hariri's followers, it will come from extremists who will see Hizbullah as another Shia revolution. Extremism gives birth to more extremism, and violence begets violence. Nasrallah chose to ignore this not only at his own peril, but at the peril of Lebanese Shias, including the silent ones who do not support this folly.