[Peace-discuss] US, Britain block cease fire effort

[Ricky Baldwin]

It's not hard to read this one.  Disgusting.

If you're in a hurry, just read paragraph 8...
 
Ricky


Nations can't agree on Lebanon cease-fire

By VICTOR L. SIMPSON, Associated Press Writer
7-26-06

U.S., European and Arab officials holding crisis talks
on Lebanon failed to agree Wednesday on an immediate
plan to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah
guerrillas.

Although officials called for an end to the violence,
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said there cannot
be a return to a "status quo" of political uncertainty
and instability in Lebanon. She said any cease-fire
must be "sustainable."

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the solution to
the Mideast crisis should involve Iran and Syria. He
also called for the formation of a multinational force
to help Lebanon assert its authority and implement
U.N. resolutions that would disarm Hezbollah.

After listening to a dramatic appeal from Lebanese
Prime Minister Fuad Saniora for them to stop the
killing, the officials said they had agreed on the
need to deploy an international force under the aegis
of the United Nations in southern Lebanon.

"An international force in Lebanon should urgently be
authorized under a U.N. mandate to support the
Lebanese armed forces in providing a secure
environment," Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema
said — but there was no mention of who would take part
or any other details.

"Participants expressed their determination to work
immediately to reach, with utmost urgency, a
cease-fire that puts an end to the current violence
and hostilities. The cease-fire must be lasting,
permanent and sustainable," D'Alema said.

He said many of the participants in the meeting
appealed for an immediate and unconditional truce.

The United States and Britain opposed the push for a
quick cease-fire, saying any truce should ensure that
Hezbollah no longer is a threat to Israel and should
ensure a durable peace.

Referring to the cease-fire, D'Alema said, "To obtain
this objective, you must exercise pressure on all
parties involved, directly and indirectly, on who can
exercise influence on Hezbollah and on Israel."

The foreign ministers and other senior officials from
the 15 nations, as well as Annan and representatives
from the European Union and the World Bank, agreed on
a declaration expressing "deep concern" for the many
civilian casualties in Lebanon, where government
officials say hundreds have been killed.

The officials called on Israel to exercise "utmost
restraint" and deplored the destruction of
infrastructure in the country.

A new multinational force for southern Lebanon would
be far tougher than the existing, three-decade-old
UNIFIL operation which has lacked a mandate to prevent
hostilities.

"What we agreed upon is that there should be an
international force under a U.N. mandate that will
have a strong and robust capability to help bring
about peace, to help provide the ability for
humanitarian efforts to go forward and to bring an end
to the violence," Rice told reporters.

There was no immediate response from Israel, which did
not attend. Israeli officials have expressed support
in principle for the deployment of an international
force, recognizing that the weak Lebanese government
could not likely subdue the Iranian- and Syrian-backed
Hezbollah without assistance.

Rice said the force's mandate would be discussed "over
the next ... several days." She added: "We also have
asked that those meetings be held urgently so that
force can be put together."

"We all committed to dedicated and urgent action to
try to bring about an end to violence that would be
sustainable" and leave the Lebanese government in full
control of its territory, Rice told reporters. She
also pointed the finger at Iran for stoking the
violence.

The foreign ministers and other senior officials from
15 nations, as well as Annan and representatives from
the European Union and the World Bank, agreed on a
declaration that expressed "deep concern" for the high
number of civilian casualties in Lebanon, where
government officials say hundreds of people have been
killed.

They called on Israel to exercise "utmost restraint,"
deplored the destruction of infrastructure in the
country, and agreed on a donors' conference to provide
humanitarian aid.

Saniora said the violence has brought his country —
still rebuilding from its 1975-90 civil war — "to its
knees."

He recognized that Israel's offensive had been sparked
by Hezbollah's incursion across the "blue line" — the
border recognized by the United Nations — two weeks
ago when it killed eight soldiers and kidnapped two,
but added that the resultant offensive was
"disproportionate."

The Western-leaning moderate also appealed to Israel
to enter a peace process with all of its Arab
neighbors — striking a markedly different tone from
many previous Lebanese leaders.

In Brussels, European Union officials said a meeting
of foreign ministers would be held Aug. 1 to discuss
the violence.

Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. The information contained in the AP News
report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed without the prior written authority of
The Associated Press.
Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

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