Posted on 07/18/2006 10:14:30 AM PDT by SmithL
Urging the international community to "end the fighting and the killing," UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan backed a Lebanon stabilization force Tuesday stressing it must be bigger and better armed than the UN's current force of about 2,000.
Speaking to reporters after discussing the Middle East at the European Commission, Annan said the UN Security Council would have to work out the proposed force's size and rules of engagement.
He said such a force should be "larger than the 2,000-man force we have there (and) have a different concept of operation and, hopefully, a different mandate from the Security Council that will allow them to operate" in southern Lebanon.
He said that would "help stabilize the situation whilst it gives the government of Lebanon time to organize itself (and) extend its authority throughout the territory, including the south" where Hizbullah militants have built up their military capabilities.
The deployment of the stabilization force would also give the government in Beirut time to "sort out the question of disarmament of the militia" in south Lebanon, Annan said.
He said he expects European and other countries to supply troops for the force, saying "It is urgent that the international community acts to make a difference on the ground."
Standing next to Annan at a news conference, Javier Solana, the EU's foreign and security chief, said, "We will be ready to help."
The current UN force in South Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, was created in 1978 to boost the Beirut government's authority there, but it proved to be powerless.
Annan said a new UN force would have "different capabilities," suggesting a much more powerful military presence.
Israel and the Lebanon-based Hizbullah oppose a new force.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair first mentioned such a force at the G-8 summit in St. Petersburg Monday as the "only way we're going to get a cessation of hostilities" between Israel and Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon.
Just more UN trucks for the Hezbollahz to hide behind.
What's the UN going to do, rape them into submission?
UN = Hizbullah lite
Sorry, but "UN Force" is an oxymoron.
What's a UN?
Yes let's give the Hezzies time to regroup and rearm by throwing a useless "peace keeping force" in the mix.
Or to transport their rockets.
Sure, send in the UN...they can start raping the Lebanese women just like they do in the Congo...that ought to help things considerably.
Spot-on analysis....
You beat me to it>
Oh, God, here we go again. Annan the Crook is trying his best to try and legitimize the existence of the filthy U.N. again. I can see it now -- Annan sends Arab troops from the terrorist member countries for peace keeping.
Sorry Kofi -- the solution to the problem is DEAD terrorists, not the useless corrupt U.N. You had your chance in Iraq. Forget about it!!!
But the good news is that those little girls will have access to lots of candy bars.
Good idea. Let's move the entire UN headquarters to Lebanon. The building on the East River can be used for something constructive.
Annan wants to enforce U.N. Resolution 1559 (I think that was the resolution that called for Hezbollah to disarm) that was created in 2000? Wow, really brave Kofi, really brave!!
Have you lost what's left of your mind?
Having the UN in there is a crappy idea. The point is there should not be so-called peacekeepers in there...let the Lebanese Army defend it's own territory. But before the Lebanese Army gets on the scene to clean up the mess, let Israel kill every last Hizbullah-ist in Southern Lebanon.
You haven't read very much about the UN, have you?
This isn't a great Idea but at least its something. Its better than ignoring the problem.
Who's "ignoring the problem"? Answer: The freakin UN, that's who. Read up on the UN's involvment with Israel since it's creation as the Jewish homeland, and then come back and tell us all how the problem has been ignored.
If Israel's manner of ignoring the problem is to destroy Hezbollah's ability to kill innocent people, to push back those invaders massing on their northern border, to expose for all to see Iran's involvment in international terrorism, then I say "Ignore away, Israel" because their "ignoring a problem" has done 1000 times more for their and our own security than endless UN hand-wringing, New York restaurant-going and anti-semetic resolutions have done for over half a century.
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