But France was never one of the good guys.
Posted on 07/23/2006 4:48:39 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
It's time to start working diplomatically toward peace in Lebanon - but that doesn't mean a unilateral ceasefire by Israel, says Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay.
Speaking Sunday on television, MacKay refused to join other countries who have called on the Israelis to rein in their military offensive in the region.
Before hostilities can end, he said, both sides will have to agree on a solution that will ensure Israel doesn't come under attack again from Hezbollah guerrillas using Lebanon as their base of operations.
"A ceasefire and a return to the status quo is a victory for Hezbollah," MacKay warned. "Let's not forget that this was an unprovoked attack by a terrorist organization . . . . The discussions have to focus on the long-term end of violence in the region."
MacKay's comments were in keeping with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's insistence, since the start of the crisis, that Hezbollah was to blame for sparking the violence and a unilateral Israeli pull-back would not solve the problem.
The Conservative government has come under heated criticism from Arab-Canadians, thousands of whom rallied in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and other cities on the weekend to try to put pressure on Harper to moderate his position.
MacKay was non-committal Sunday on whether Canada would agree to participate in any peacekeeping force that might be assembled under NATO or UN auspices.
He also said he hasn't decided yet whether he could help move the diplomatic process along by paying a visit to the Middle East.
For the time being, said MacKay, he is concentrating on making sure every last Canadian who wants to get out of Lebanon can do so.
More than 6,000 had fled the country by Sunday on government-chartered ships, but many more remain.
"The numbers could be as high as 30,000 who may still wish to leave," said MacKay. "What those final numbers will be is an inexact science. But we will be there with the means to remove them as long as there are Canadians there who wish to leave."
Most of the Canadians still in the country are in or around Beirut, but as many as 3,000 are believed to be in war-ravaged southern Lebanon.
MacKay said plans are underway to see what can be done to evacuate those in southern Lebanon.
Iran, Syria, and Hizbolla are about to get their heads handed to them courtesy of the IDF.
It's about damned time.
L
And I still am not sure why foreign nationals (other than those who are embassy personnal) are in Lebanon in the first place? Anybody?
Israel is currently resisting calls for a cease-fire because there is no evidence that their incursion has done anything to change the strategic balance. Hezbollah still exists, Lebanon still has no control over the territory occupied by Hezbollah, and if the shooting stops today, there is no guarantee that the State of Israel will be any safer than it was in June.
When it is clear to Israel that the strategic situation is different, they will agree to a cease-fire. That may take a guarantee that the UN will be excused from its 28 year failed "peacekeeping" mission, that Lebanon will assert control over its own sovereign territory including the area now occupied by Hezbollah, and that a new professional peacekeeping force will occupy the territory between Israel and Lebanon to keep the peace. Israel has already said that it could accept a NATO peacekeeping force. There may also be a requirement to disarm Hezbollah but it remains to be seen whether the international community has the will and resolve to do that.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel.
also Keywords 2006israelwar or WOT [War on Terror]
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But France was never one of the good guys.
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