[Peace-discuss] Just Foreign Policy News, July 26, 2006

Wed Jul 26 15:06:23 CDT 2006

Just Foreign Policy News
July 26, 2006

In this issue:
1) Diplomats Back Troops, but Not Cease-fire, for Mideast
2) As Many as 14 Israeli Troops Killed in Lebanon
3) UN Deaths Put Pressure on Rome Talks for Ceasefire
4) Accusations fly after U.N. observers killed
5) U.N.: Observers made many calls before strike
6) Mideast talks fail to reach cease-fire agreement
7) Putin and Ahmadinejad Discuss Mideast Crises
8) Hizbollah Bombards Northern Israel, Dozens Wounded
9) U.S., Allies Divided Over Cease - Fire Terms
10) Prodi: Italy Will Join Mideast Force
11) Israel Seeks 1.2 - Mile - Wide 'Security Zone'
12) Greek Police, Anti - War Protesters Clash
13) Hezbollah: Israeli Onslaught a Surprise
14) Ahmadinejad Calls for Lebanon Cease - Fire
15) Why Syria Has Much to Lose if Hezbollah Is Finally Halted
16) Israel Finding a Difficult Foe in Hezbollah
17) Iraqi PM Says Fate of Iraq Is Tied to U.S.
18) UN negotiators close to deal on Iran nuclear draft
19) Nations Closer on Iran Resolution Deal
20) Iranian Dissident Akbar Ganji: Dangers of a US Invasion of Iran
21) Syria, Iran lack full Hizbollah control: US official

Summary:
American, European and Arab diplomats called today for an
international force to be deployed in along the border between Lebanon
and Israel and for a regional peace conference including Syria and
Iran. But they stopped short of calling for an immediate cease-fire,
the New York Times reports. The foreign ministers issued a joint
statement calling for "urgent efforts'' toward a cease-fire. Most of
the countries attending the conference made clear that they favored an
immediate halt.  But Secretary of State Rice said that the US
continues to oppose trying to arrange a cease-fire before the
conditions have been created for a "sustainable'' peace.  Lebanon's
prime minister repeated his call for an immediate end to the fighting.
He also said that as part of any negotiations, he would press several
conditions: that Israel withdraw from the Shebaa Farms territory it
continues to occupy, that it release Lebanese prisoners, and that it
turn over a map showing the locations of land mines it placed in
southern Lebanon. Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have been critical of
Hezbollah while calling for an immediate cease-fire. In the run-up to
the meeting, the United States and Britain stood virtually alone in
opposing an immediate cease-fire.

On Tuesday,  four unarmed United Nations observers were killed when an
Israeli airstrike hit their observation post near the Israeli border.
After learning of the deaths on Tuesday night, Mr. Annan denounced the
"apparently deliberate targeting" of the post. Asked about that remark
today, he said that the post was "long established and clearly
marked," and that the shelling had begun in the early morning and
continued into the evening despite numerous warnings from UN
commanders to the Israeli army. He called for a joint investigation by
the UN and Israel. Israel's prime minister called Annan today to
apologize for what Israel says was an accident. In the past two weeks,
there have been several dozen incidents of firing close to U.N.
peacekeepers and observers, including direct hits on nine positions,
some of them repeatedly. As a result of these attacks, 12 U.N.
personnel have been killed or injured, U.N. officials said.

The U.N. observers killed when an Israeli bomb hit their bunker in
Lebanon Tuesday called an Israeli military liaison about 10 times in
the six hours before they died to warn that aerial attacks were
getting close to their position, CNN reports. After each call, the
Israeli officer promised to have the bombing stopped, an officer at
the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) base in Noqoura said.
Finally, an Israeli bomb exploded directly on the U.N. post near
Khiyam, killing four U.N. observers.

Mahmoud Komati, deputy chief of Hezbollah's political arm, told
Associated Press that Hezbollah was surprised by the force of Israel's
reaction to its capture of two Israeli soldiers. He said Hezbollah had
expected "the usual, limited" response such as commando raids or
limited attacks on Hezbollah strongholds. Komati said his group had
anticipated negotiations to swap the Israeli soldiers for three
Lebanese held in Israeli jails, with Germany acting as a mediator as
it has in past prisoner exchanges. He said the group would not give up
its weapons because of Israeli occupation of Lebanese land, the
''threat of Israeli aggression'' and the Lebanese held in Israeli
jails.

Israel wants to establish a 2 kilometer-wide strip in south Lebanon
that will be free of Hezbollah guerrillas, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
said Wednesday, giving the dimensions of a new ''security zone'' for
the first time.  ''We want a two-kilometer (1.2-mile) space from the
border in which it will not be possible to fire rockets toward
soldiers and civilians' houses and in which there will not be contact
with military border patrols,'' Olmert was quoted as telling the
committee. Israeli soldiers patrolled a ''security zone'' during
Israel's 18-year occupation of south Lebanon, but Olmert indicated the
new buffer zone would be different. ''We do not have any intention of
returning to the security zone but want to create an area where there
will be no Hezbollah,'' he was quoted as saying.

More than 125 rockets fired by Hizbollah guerrillas slammed into the
city of Haifa and other parts of northern Israel on Wednesday,
wounding dozens of people, security sources and medics said. The fresh
salvoes from Lebanon came as the United Nations chief aid official,
Jan Egeland, was visiting the city. "I've come here like I have
visited Lebanon and I visited Gaza to see for myself how
indiscriminately the civilian population is suffering, how rockets are
hitting homes, families,' he told reporters. "This is totally
condemnable. I have condemned it when I was in Lebanon, when I was in
Hizbollah heartland. It has to stop.''

Israel pressed ahead with its nearly month-old offensive against
Palestinian militants in Gaza. At least 13 Palestinians, including a
young girl, were killed in airstrikes and artillery bombardment that
also wounded more than three dozen.

Italian Premier Romano Prodi said Wednesday he will commit troops to a
military force for Lebanon if it has a U.N. mandate. Prodi's statement
about committing troops came a day after Turkey, NATO's only Muslim
member, said it would consider playing a major role in a peacekeeping
force in Lebanon if there was a strong U.N. mandate.

Greek protesters toppled a statue of President Truman and clashed with
police during demonstrations Tuesday against the fighting in Lebanon.
Demonstrators gathered earlier outside the U.S. Embassy and used a
power saw and ropes to bring down the Truman statue. AP reported that
"It wasn't immediately clear why the protesters focused on the Truman
statue" but noted that it had been targeted in the past. Truman
implemented a U.S. intervention in Greece after the Second World War
that resulted in a repressive military dictatorship.

Iranian President Ahmadinejad called for a cease-fire in Lebanon and
criticized U.S. policy in the Middle East on Wednesday, saying
Washington wants to ''recarve the map'' of the region with Israel's
help. Ahmadinejad's nation is a major backer of Hezbollah and a sworn
enemy of Israel, but he denied that Tehran provides military support
to the militant group. In addition to a cease-fire, Ahmadinejad called
for talks on the Lebanon crisis without conditions.

Syrian officials and analysts said the nature of the longstanding
relationship between Damascus and the militia appeared to be shifting,
with Syrian leverage rapidly diminishing, the New York Times reports.
For the decades when Syrian soldiers were deployed in Lebanon,
Damascus kept firm control over the pipeline of arms to Hezbollah and
could generate or suppress its activities with little trouble. Now,
analysts argue, even if asked, Syria may have trouble tamping out the
flames. One Western ambassador said "There may be a new strategic
situation in the making because Israel does not have the overwhelming
strategic superiority that it thought it had." The basis of that new
equation is Hezbollah's continued ability to land rockets deep inside
Israel despite two weeks of punishing assaults, with plenty of
indications suggesting it can fire for weeks, if not months.
Ironically, by forcing Syria to withdraw its military from Lebanon
last year, the United States and its allies diluted the significant
direct leverage Syria might have had over Hezbollah. Iran, Syria and
Hezbollah were all taken aback by the ferocity of Israel's response to
the capture of two soldiers; the seizure seemed to fall within the
unspoken rules of limited engagements. Similar operations had prompted
prisoner exchanges in the past, the current demand by Hezbollah for
ending the fighting.

A week ago, Israeli officials said their military had knocked out up
to half of Hezbollah's rocket launchers and suggested that another
week or two would finish the job of incapacitating the Lebanese
militia, the New York Times reports. That talk has largely stopped.
Hezbollah is still launching 100 rockets a day at Israel, nearly as
many as it did at the start of the war. Soldiers return from forays
into Lebanon saying the network of bunkers and tunnels is more
sophisticated than expected. And Iranian-made long-range missiles
apparently capable of hitting Tel Aviv remain in the Hezbollah
arsenal.

Addressing a joint meeting of Congress, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki today asserted that Iraq has become an essential partner to
the United States in its fight against terrorism, the Washington Post
reports. Maliki said the U.S.-led military force in Iraq should be
withdrawn "only when Iraq's forces are fully capable." His speech was
interrupted by a protester wearing a pink T-shirt that read "Troops
Home Now." "Iraqis want the troops to leave. Bring them home now," the
protester shouted before being ushered out of the House chamber.
Maliki did not address his recent criticism of Israel's military
operation against Lebanon. Yesterday, some House and Senate Democrats
said Maliki should not be allowed to address Congress because of his
comments critical of Israel. Maliki criticized U.S.-led reconstruction
efforts in Iraq, telling the members of Congress: "Much of the budget
you had allocated for Iraq's reconstruction ended up paying for
security firms and foreign companies, whose operating costs were vast.
Instead, there needs to be a greater reliance on Iraqis and Iraqi
companies, with foreign aid and assistance to help us rebuild Iraq."

Key members of the U.N. Security Council were close yesterday to
agreement on a draft resolution demanding Iran suspend all nuclear
enrichment and reprocessing work and threatening to consider sanctions
if it refuses, Reuters and AP reported. Negotiations on the resolution
have dragged on for 10 days. The draft is expected to demand Iran
suspend all uranium enrichment-related and plutonium reprocessing
activities as well as the construction of a heavy-water reactor. It
says that if Iran does not comply with the resolution the council
would consider measures under Article 41 of Chapter 7 of the U.N.
Charter, which relates to economic and diplomatic sanctions, but
excludes military force. The date set for compliance is still open but
is expected to be at the end of August.

Iranian investigative journalist and dissident Akbar Ganji was
interviewed on Democracy Now yesterday. Ganji strongly opposed any
U.S. military attack on Iran. Such an attack will not bring democracy,
it will only devastate Iran, he said.

Syria can do far more to rein in Hizbollah, such as stopping arms
flows into Lebanon, but is not capable of putting the militia "out of
business," a top U.S. counterterrorism official said on Tuesday.
President Bush told British Prime Minister Tony Blair last week that
the key to ending the current Middle East crisis was to "get Syria to
get Hizbollah to stop doing this shit." But Henry Crumpton, the State
Department's coordinator for counterterrorism, said even Iran -- which
he said had more influence than Syria -- did not have full control
over the Islamist guerrillas.

Articles:
1) Diplomats Back Troops, but Not Cease-fire, for Mideast
Helene Cooper And John O'Neil
New York Times
July 26, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/26/world/middleeast/26cnd-mideast.html

2) As Many as 14 Israeli Troops Killed in Lebanon
Associated Press
July 26, 2006
Filed at 11:08 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Lebanon-Israel.html

3) UN Deaths Put Pressure on Rome Talks for Ceasefire
Reuters
July 26, 2006
Filed at 0:33 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-mideast.html?_r=1&oref=login

4) Accusations fly after U.N. observers killed
Annan slams 'apparently deliberate' strike by Israel
CNN
Wednesday, July 26, 2006 Posted: 0757 GMT
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/26/mideast.main.0330/index.html

5) U.N.: Observers made many calls before strike
Annan, China condemn attack that killed 4
CNN.com 	
Wednesday, July 26, 2006 Posted: 1223 GMT
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/26/mideast.observers/index.html

6) Mideast talks fail to reach cease-fire agreement
CNN	
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/26/mideast.romeconf/index.html

7) Putin and Ahmadinejad Discuss Mideast Crises
Reuters
July 26, 2006
Filed at 2:33 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-mideast-iran-russia.html

8) Hizbollah Bombards Northern Israel, Dozens Wounded
By REUTERS
July 26, 2006
Filed at 9:56 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-mideast-haifa.html

9) U.S., Allies Divided Over Cease - Fire Terms
ASSOCIATED PRESS
July 26, 2006
Filed at 10:23 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Rice.html

10) Prodi: Italy Will Join Mideast Force
Associated Press
July 26, 2006
Filed at 12:41 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mideast-Prodi-Interview.html

11) Israel Seeks 1.2 - Mile - Wide 'Security Zone'
Associated Press
July 26, 2006
Filed at 8:08 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mideast-Fighting-Olmert.html

12) Greek Police, Anti - War Protesters Clash
Associated Press
July 26, 2006
Filed at 12:33 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mideast-Fighting-Greece-Protest.html

13) Hezbollah: Israeli Onslaught a Surprise
Associated Press
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mideast-Fighting-Hezbollah.html
July 26, 2006
Filed at 1:05 a.m. ET

14) Ahmadinejad Calls for Lebanon Cease - Fire
Associated Press
July 26, 2006
Filed at 12:11 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mideast-Fighting-Iran.html

15) Why Syria Has Much to Lose if Hezbollah Is Finally Halted
Neil MacFarquhar
New York Times
July 26, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/26/world/middleeast/26syria.html

16) Israel Finding a Difficult Foe in Hezbollah
Steven Erlanger And Thom Shanker
The New York Times
July 26, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/26/world/middleeast/26strategy.html

17) Iraqi PM Says Fate of Iraq Is Tied to U.S.
Bill Brubaker
Washington Post
Wednesday, July 26, 2006; 1:30 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/26/AR2006072600230.html

18) UN negotiators close to deal on Iran nuclear draft
Evelyn Leopold
Reuters
Tuesday, July 25, 2006; 8:33 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/25/AR2006072501299.html

19) Nations Closer on Iran Resolution Deal
Associated Press
July 26, 2006
Filed at 12:29 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-UN-Iran-Nuclear.html

20) Iranian Dissident Akbar Ganji: Dangers of a US Invasion of Iran
Democracy Now
July 25, 2006
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/25/1443204

21) Syria, Iran lack full Hizbollah control: US official
Caroline Drees
Reuters
Tuesday, July 25, 2006; 12:15 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/25/AR2006072500664.html

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Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org