Posted on 07/15/2006 6:06:26 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
THE UN Security Council has again rejected pleas that it call for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon after the United States objected, diplomats said overnight.
Washington argued in closed-door talks that the focus for Middle East diplomacy for now should be on the weekend summit in St Petersburg of the Group of Eight industrialised nations, council diplomats said.
It was the sole member of the 15-nation UN body to oppose any council action at all at this time, they said.
"We would expect much more from the Security Council," Lebanese Foreign Ministry official Nouhad Mahmoud told reporters after the council meeting, singling out the United States for blame.
While Washington has been very supportive of the Lebanese government in the past, "when it comes to Israel, it seems things changed," Mr Mahmoud said. "Destruction is still going on, people are still dying ... and here we are impotent."
The council planned another discussion of the conflict on Monday, and hoped to soon begin work on a "substantive" response to the conflict, said French UN Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, the council president for July.
The Monday meeting would be the council's third since Hezbollah guerrillas crossed over into Israel last week and captured two Israeli soldiers, triggering an intensifying military response by Israeli forces that has been met with a steady rain of Hezbollah missiles into northern Israel.
On Thursday, the Lebanese government called on the Security Council to adopt a resolution imposing a cease-fire.
The plea was renewed on Saturday by Qatar, the council's sole Arab member.
Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert assured the United Nations that Israeli forces would not interfere in a plan by UN peacekeepers to move Lebanese villagers living along the border with Israel out of the line of fire, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guehenno said.
Mr Olmert's assurances came in a Saturday telephone call to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Guehenno said.
Israel's Northern Command had previously warned UN peacekeepers to keep out of a zone several miles wide running along the Lebanese side of the border, he said.
Such an order would have been "impossible to comply with, unacceptable," Mr Guehenno said.
Mr Olmert's assurances cleared the way for the peacekeepers to try to move the civilians, he said. Arrangements would also have to be worked out with Hizbollah, he added.
Although not a member of the security council, the Vatican is against Israel as well...
when nothing of the sort happened.
Excuse my French, but tough $hit.
You Muslims did this to yourselves, and now that Israel is making you pay for it, you cry like a sissy.
Tell you what - all you Islamic murderers leave Israel the hell alone. Don't mess with her borders, her soldiers, her civilians, or her soverignty.
Got that?
thank G-d for Israel that kerry lost
I must say, that thought has been on my mind the past two days.
I wonder how Clinton and Gore sleep at night, with the events of the past two weeks.
As a matter of fact, I hope they don't, because they don't deserve to.
Well, let their military forces attempt to "occupy Israel to restrain it."
The recess appointment was made while Congress was in recess, after Bolton's nomination was filibustered. I believe it's good until the next Congress is seated in '07. Then he would have to be confirmed or else leave the job. I don't understand how a President could continually recess appoint someone so that they stay in office until the President leaves office. I don't believe it's possible. Think about it.
By your own choice, Lebanon. It's what happens when you tolerate terrorists in your own land. What goes around comes around.
"...I think it is revealing and most unfortunate that they have decided to pick the wrong side in this conflict."
Maybe that's because it's where they get much of their oil.
They call it, "being practical". They are very good at that.
If we aren't in WWIII yet (and I believe we are), that would start it for sure.
Return the captured soldiers.
Thanks God for President Bush.
Why do you think they call it the UNSecurity Council?
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