Posted on 08/05/2006 10:36:48 AM PDT by HAL9000
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 5 (Reuters) - The United States and France have completed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution on a cessation of hostilities and a framework for a political settlement between Israel and Lebanon.The full 15-member council has to review and accept the text. A vote is anticipated on Monday or Tuesday.
Following are highlights from the draft:
Calls for a full cessation of hostilities based upon "immediate cessation by Hizbollah of all attacks and the immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations;"
Expresses its intention, after agreement from Lebanon and Israel to a "political framework for a lasting solution," to authorize deployment of an international force to support the Lebanese armed forces;
Calls for Israel and Lebanon to support a permanent cease-fire and agree on a long-term solution based on the following principles and elements:
-- strict respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Israel and Lebanon;
-- full respect for the Blue Line (U.S. drawn boundary between Lebanon and Israel) by both parties;
-- delineation of the international borders of Lebanon, especially in those areas where the border is disputed or uncertain, including in the Shebaa Farms area;
-- security arrangements to prevent the resumption of hostilities, including the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani River of a buffer zone free of any armed personnel other than those of the Lebanese force and of U.N.- mandated international forces.
-- disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon so there will be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than that of the Lebanese state;
-- establishment of an international embargo on the sale or supply of arms and related material to Lebanon except as authorized by its government;
-- provision to the United Nations of remaining maps of land mines in Lebanon in Israel's possession;
The draft asks the U.N secretary-general to secure agreements in principle from Lebanon and Israeli on the above elements for a long-term solution.
It also asks the secretary-general to develop proposals on the delineation of Lebanon's borders with Israel and Syria that are disputed or uncertain, including the Shebaa Farms and report to the Security Council within 30 days.
The preamble but not the operative part of the draft emphasized the need to address the "the unconditional release of the abducted Israeli soldiers" and encourages "efforts aimed at settling the issue of the Lebanese prisoners detained in Israel."
"-- disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon so there will be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than that of the Lebanese state;"
...something about pigs flying comes to mind...
Pork may not be the best of choices for a metaphor..oink!
Ahmadinejead said, "Although the main solution is for the elimination of the Zionist regime, at this stage, and intermediate cease fire must be implemented. Israel is 'an illegitimate' regime. There is no legal basis for its existence."
Sure this is going to work.
I'm flabbergsted by the MSM, the international community and even the Bush administration. They (the Islamists) are actaully stating what they are going to do, no BS, and we still think we can negotiate this.
They already have Resolution 1559, and what good did that do? Hezbollah has been storing weapons in Lebanon the last 6 years under the eyes of the Lebanese and the UN. Why trust either one now? They only flaunt the law. If we trust them once, and they fail, shame on them, and if we are foolish enough to trust them again, Shame on us.
Please blast Ahmadinejaed all you what, lord knows he merits it. Just don't forget that much of the American and European left agrees with him as exemplified by Noam Chomsky, a Jew and American who profoundly hates is own heritages, as is evident in his writings and statement in his interviews.
I was a Bush fan but if this demand ( return the soldiers ) is not included in any proposals, I put Bush in the same League as Carter and clintons.
(adds UNIFIL monitoring, paragraph 5)~ snip ~
Requests, UNIFIL, the U.N. Interim Fore in Lebanon, after fighting has stopped, to monitor implementation of the truce and help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations.
~ snip ~
I hope and pray the two Israeli soldiers return home safely. But the "most important items" are the permanent disarming of Hezbollah, and preventing Iran and Syria from sending more materiel to them.
Feckless yakking.... Only guns mean what they say.
Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong! Hezbollah answers to who, Lebanon?
All Israel wants is peace, and Lebanon didn't even start the whole thing to begin with.
Hezbollah is a TERRORIST organization. Diplomatically, it gives the APPEARANCE that the international community is working to resolve this, however, I'd bet all involved know that because Iran and or Syria are the ones calling the Hezbollah shots that they aren't obligated to even read this agreement, and when it keeps raining rockets Israel is allowed to defend itself.
I'd say that in a nutshell that the agreement allows Israel to keep on doing what they are doing.
I was a Bush fan but............................
No big Bush fan here either, but I suspect that maybe he and Condi KNOW the Israelis won't go for it and that that is just what they want.
We never really know, do we?
Is the UN kidding?
Aha! The Blue Line is not just any line in the sand.
Where in the document does it say that before any of this can be addressed, the two kidnapped IDF soldiers need to be returned to Israel unharmed?
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