Posted on 08/30/2006 6:19:38 AM PDT by areafiftyone
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said Wednesday that he refused to have any direct contact with Israel and Lebanon would be the last Arab country to ever sign a peace deal with the Jewish state.
"Let it be clear, we are not seeking any agreement until there is just and comprehensive peace based on the Arab initiative," he said.
He was referring to a plan that came out of a 2002 Arab League summit in Beirut. It calls for Israel to return all territories it conquered in the 1967 Mideast war, the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem — all in exchange for peace and full normalization of Arab relations with Israel.
Israel has long sought a peace deal with Lebanon, but Beirut has hesitated as long as Israel's conflicts with the Palestinians and Syria remained unresolved.
Saniora said Lebanon wants to go back to the 1949 armistice agreement that formally ended the Arab-Israeli war over Israel's creation.
Also on Wednesday, a Hezbollah cabinet minister said that the guerrilla group will not release two captured Israeli soldiers unconditionally, and that they would only be freed in a prisoner exchange.
"There will be no unconditional release. This is not possible," Minister of Energy and Hydraulic Resources Mohammed Fneish said in Beirut. He is one of two Hezbollah members in Lebanon's Cabinet.
"There should be an exchange through indirect negotiations. This is the principle to which Hezbollah and the resistance are adhering," he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said earlier Wednesday that the Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire could be "a cornerstone to build a new reality between Israel and Lebanon."
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan also said they hoped the cease-fire deal could evolve into a full-fledged peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
Implementation of the cease-fire "gives us a foundation to move forward and settle the differences between Israel and Lebanon once and for all, to establish a durable peace," Annan said.
Also Wednesday, Saniora said that his government would pay $33,000 per house to compensate residents whose homes were destroyed by Israeli attacks. The government has been criticized for being slow to respond with financial support for people who lost homes in the fighting.
Saniora said 130,000 housing units had been destroyed or damaged in more than a month of Israeli airstrikes and ground fighting with Hezbollah guerrillas, mostly in south Lebanon. He did not give a breakdown of the completely destroyed houses.
Hezbollah launched rebuilding campaigns in its strongholds within days of the Aug. 14 cease-fire, burnishing its support among residents.
Saniora said he would ask delegates to an international donors' conference in Sweden on Thursday to take responsibility for rebuilding specific villages hit by Israeli attacks. Organizers of the conference are aiming to raise $500 million in aid for Lebanon, Sweden's aid minister said Tuesday.
The European Commission said Wednesday it will pledge $54 million at the conference on top of the $64 million that the European Union's head office has already earmarked for emergency relief to Lebanon.
It also confirms Nasrallah's statement:
"I said that we would abduct Israeli soldiers,
in meetings with some of the main political leaders in the country (Lebanon).
I don't want to mention names now, but when the time comes to settle accounts, I will."
Time to prime the IDF war machine again for another march north. Let the hezzies realize they underestimated the IDF again. Who cares about UN opinion? It is about as relevant as the water stains at the bottom of the toilet tank (not bowl, tank).
underlying this is the call for Israel to return all territories it "conquered" in 1948, namely greater Israel
Spending this money without reining in Hezbollah is like tossing money in the fire. Any houses rebuilt now will only be destroyed in a few months time when Hezbollah snake decides it's time to bite again.
He was referring to a plan that came out of a 2002 Arab League summit in Beirut. It calls for Israel to return all territories it conquered in the 1967 Mideast war, the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem — all in exchange for peace and full normalization of Arab relations with Israel.
I am reminded of the scene in "Braveheart", just before the Battle of Stirling, in which William Wallace explains to the British what they must do if they wish to avoid a battle. The demands are, in part, anatomically impossible. They are not meant to be taken seriously -- just like Lebanon's.
To quote Wallace in a slightly earlier scene: "Are ye ready for a war??"
(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )
Sounds like he should be qualified to discuss this issue. Seriously, Israel should respond by advising Beirut that they will be keeping the southern half of Lebanon and clearing it for overflow parking.
Israel needs to grab up the Hizzbo and Lebanese leadership to trade for the soldiers (if they are, in fact, still alive).
So the Arabs want a mulligan.
I don't understand something here; the world is against Israel for bombing Lebanese targets while claiming the Hizbos are their own little militia and have nothing to do with the Lebanese government.
But we have numerous statements from Lebanese officials that put the Hizbos on par with the government and refer to them as an integrated part of the government.
I'm wondering if they are still alive too. I pray they still are!
The Palestinians may form a viable government and operate as an independent state, any time they want to.
But it is significant, that the borders between the Palestinian Authority regions (West Bank and Gaza) and surrounding Arab nations,are enforced more stringently than those between Israel and PA territory.
The other Arabs don't want those beggars and malcontents now in the PA territories in their countries either.
Bush, send more money to Lebanon!!!
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. also
2006israelwar or WOT
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Clearly Lebanon has made it known where they stand, with Iran.
"Israel needs to grab up the Hizzbo and Lebanese leadership to trade for the soldiers (if they are, in fact, still alive).
No, they needto grab leadership and send them back piece by piece until the hostages are released. That is the only thing they understand.
"The other Arabs don't want those beggars and malcontents now in the PA territories in their countries either."
You're right. The Palestinians born in the Lebanon and living there all their lives are not considered Lebanese citizens and they're not allowed to vote or work there. They do everything to keep them dependent on the UN so that there is a constant source of hatred for Israel.
You can imagine that without jobs or a real life their focus is on their grievances.
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