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Israeli prime minister accepts U.N. cease-fire deal
Yahoo News ^ | 09/11/2006 | By KARIN LAUB

Posted on 08/11/2006 3:58:31 PM PDT by garbageseeker

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert endorsed an emerging Mideast cease-fire deal late Friday, after a day of dramatic day brinksmanship including a threat to expand the ground war in Lebanon.

The agreement calls for the deployment of 30,000 Lebanese and U.N. troops along the Israel-Lebanon border. It falls short of some of Israel's demands, including a strong mandate for the U.N. forces to take on Hezbollah guerrillas.

However, the draft is the best chance yet for peace after more than four weeks of war that has killed more than 800 people, destroyed Lebanon's infrastructure and inflamed tensions across the Middle East.

Neither the Lebanese government nor Hezbollah has said publicly whether they would sign on to the deal, but it was widely assumed that they did not object to it. Plans to take the resolution to a vote were announced in New York shortly after U.S. Mideast envoy, Assistant Secretary of State David Welch, met for a second time Friday with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.

Israeli officials said Israel would not halt fighting until Israel's Cabinet has approved the cease-fire deal in its weekly meeting Sunday. It was not immediately clear whether the military would expand its ground offensive in the time remaining, or would only hold existing positions.

Only six hours passed from an initial decision by Olmert to broaden the ground offensive to his acceptance of the cease-fire deal. The zigzag reflected Israel's dilemma after a month of inconclusive fighting.

Israel has been unable to defeat Hezbollah and was concerned about growing Israeli casualties, as well as international condemnation, if the war continued. However, Olmert also feared that accepting a deal that does not rein in the guerrillas could lead to another war down the road and hurt him politically.

Olmert's initial order to send troops deeper into Hezbollah territory came even as U.N. Security Council negotiations reached the final stretch in New York.

Several hours later, France and the United States reached agreement on a final draft, to be put to a vote later Friday. The draft would authorize the deployment of 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon, along with 15,000 Lebanese troops, into the region "as Israel withdraws."

The Security Council, repeatedly accused of taking too long to come up with a response to fighting, would leave out several key demands from both Israel and Lebanon in efforts to come up with a workable arrangement.

"You never get a deal like this with everybody getting everything that they want," Britain's Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said. "The question is, has everybody got enough for this to stick and for it to be enforceable? Nobody wants to go back to where we were before this last episode started."

Despite Lebanese objections, Israel will be allowed to continue defensive operations, and a dispute over the Chebaa Farms area along the Syria-Lebanon-Israel border will be left for later. Israel won't get its wish for an entirely new multinational force separate from the U.N. peacekeepers that have been stationed in south Lebanon since 1978.

There is also no call for the release of Lebanese prisoners held by Israel or a demand for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops. Although the draft resolution emphasizes the need for the "unconditional release" of the two Israeli soldiers whose July 12 capture by Hezbollah sparked the conflict, that call is not included in the list of steps required for a lasting cease-fire.

The ongoing fighting has killed more than 800 people — including at least 732 Lebanese and 122 Israelis.

After nightfall, there were some signs of troop movement on the Israel-Lebanon border. Battle-ready soldiers carrying heavy backpacks marched near the border as tanks assembled nearby. In south Lebanon, there were no reports of increased troop activity. Israeli officials gave conflicting assessments on whether a wider campaign was under way.

More than 10,000 Israeli troops are already fighting Hezbollah guerrillas in south Lebanon. In the new phase, Israeli forces would push toward Lebanon's Litani River, some 18 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border, attempting to capture more than twice as much territory as they hold now.

Olmert has faced growing criticism at home for the army's inability to halt the rocket barrages; Hezbollah has fired more than 3,500 rockets in the monthlong war. Polls also indicated that his initially approval rating, high at the start of the war, was slipping.

Commentators have suggested Olmert's political career was at stake, and that he might even be forced to step down. Many Israelis believe defeating Hezbollah is essential for their country's long-term security.

In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes pounded south Beirut and border crossings to Syria, killing at least 15 people as ground fighting picked up intensity in the south of the country.

In the Bekaa Valley, an Israeli drone fired missiles into a convoy of refugees fleeing attacks in the southern town of Marjayoun, killing at least six people and wounding 16 others, an Associated Press photographer said.

The Israeli military said it had no knowledge of the incident. The army noted that it had imposed a travel ban on south Lebanon, and had received no request to coordinate a convoy in that area.

Throughout the day, civilians had been fleeing fighting in the Christian town of Marjayoun in long convoys after Israeli forces entered earlier this week.

Lutfallah Daher, the photographer, was with the convoy when it was hit near the town of Chtaura, about 30 miles north of the Litani River. Israel had warned it would attack any vehicle on roads south of the Litani, assuming it was carrying Hezbollah weapons or fighters.

Daher said the convoy consisted of more than 600 civilian vehicles and others carrying a detachment of 350 Lebanese soldiers and police when it left the area around Marjayoun. He said very few of the vehicles had left the convoy when it was hit.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Israel; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2006israelwar; appeasement; appeaser; ceasefire; ehudolmer; ehudolmert; idf; israel; lebanon; olmert; peaceinourtime; un; unres1701
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I am very disappointed in Olmert.
1 posted on 08/11/2006 3:58:32 PM PDT by garbageseeker
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To: garbageseeker

Ah yes, everything will be fine now. Maybe the UN can collect money from its members to rebuild Lebanon. Iran and Syria will be more than happy to contribute goods for rebuilding.


2 posted on 08/11/2006 4:00:10 PM PDT by umgud (Gov't needs a Department of Common Sense)
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To: umgud

This is such a bad development.


3 posted on 08/11/2006 4:01:01 PM PDT by garbageseeker ("The best form of defense is attack." -Karl Philippe Gottfried von Clausewitz)
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To: garbageseeker

This is unfortunate. When the Hezballah start rocketing next time it will be with much more effective rounds, either chemical or WMD of some type, and probably better targeting.


4 posted on 08/11/2006 4:02:22 PM PDT by Jack Black
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To: garbageseeker

Nasrallah is going to torpedo this deal.

Just a hunch.


5 posted on 08/11/2006 4:02:58 PM PDT by mkjessup (The Shah doesn't look so bad now, eh? But nooo, Jimmah said the Ayatollah was a 'godly' man.)
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To: garbageseeker

That's an understatement. If he had any honor, he would resign.


6 posted on 08/11/2006 4:04:04 PM PDT by AdvisorB (For a terrorist bodycount in hamistan, let the smoke clear then count the ears and divide by 2.)
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To: mkjessup

We better hope that Nasrallah torpedoes the deal. This is such an unfortunate decision made by Olmert.


7 posted on 08/11/2006 4:04:50 PM PDT by garbageseeker ("The best form of defense is attack." -Karl Philippe Gottfried von Clausewitz)
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To: Mr.Smorch

I think that the Knesset will ask for a vote of "no confidence" soon.


8 posted on 08/11/2006 4:05:36 PM PDT by garbageseeker ("The best form of defense is attack." -Karl Philippe Gottfried von Clausewitz)
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To: mkjessup
Nasrallah is going to torpedo this deal.

We can only hope!

9 posted on 08/11/2006 4:05:37 PM PDT by quesera (Evil does indeed triumph when good men do nothing.)
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To: Mr.Smorch

Oh yeah, that would really help the situation. Get real.


10 posted on 08/11/2006 4:05:53 PM PDT by GOP
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To: garbageseeker

Bibi. Where are you? Time for a Coup in Israel.


11 posted on 08/11/2006 4:06:11 PM PDT by jw777
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To: jw777





I think that he will be the next PM
12 posted on 08/11/2006 4:08:00 PM PDT by garbageseeker ("The best form of defense is attack." -Karl Philippe Gottfried von Clausewitz)
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To: garbageseeker

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leaves a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan (not pictured) at the United Nations about the conflict in Lebanon, in New York, August 11, 2006. The United States and Lebanon said on Friday a deal on a U.N. resolution to end Israel's month-old war with Hizbollah guerrillas was in sight. (Chip East/Reuters)


13 posted on 08/11/2006 4:08:20 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: jw777

Don't believe everything you hear. I have my doubts. None of this makes sense. WHY would Israel do this to herself and us?

Something isn't right about this.


14 posted on 08/11/2006 4:08:24 PM PDT by silentknight
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To: GOP

You are kidding, right? You're not that naive, are you?


15 posted on 08/11/2006 4:09:11 PM PDT by AdvisorB (For a terrorist bodycount in hamistan, let the smoke clear then count the ears and divide by 2.)
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To: garbageseeker

I hope so!


16 posted on 08/11/2006 4:09:34 PM PDT by jw777
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To: NormsRevenge

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is seen in this August 8, 2006 file photo. Olmert faced a backlash on Friday over a U.N. proposal to end the war in Lebanon, with army officers charging that they were held back and right-wing rivals calling for new elections. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)


17 posted on 08/11/2006 4:09:43 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: garbageseeker

Don't worry Hizb'Allah won't know when to quit.


18 posted on 08/11/2006 4:09:52 PM PDT by Khepera (Do not remove by penalty of law!)
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To: silentknight

It is very very odd, however, IF it is true, out with Olmert. He'll have left Hezzies un-dead. That is bad for Israel and on top of that, puts forth an image of weakness when you look at what they need to do to Iran/Syria.


19 posted on 08/11/2006 4:11:33 PM PDT by jw777
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To: NormsRevenge

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan arrives at UN headquarters in New York. The UN Security Council was to vote on a French-US resolution calling for an end to hostilities in the Middle East war, an Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon and the deployment of a 15,000-strong UN force.(AFP/Stan Honda)


20 posted on 08/11/2006 4:11:42 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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