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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
France presents UN draft calling for immediate ceasefire
2006-07-30
France has drawn up a draft UN Security Council resolution that would call for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Israel and Lebanon and prepare for the deployment of an international force. The document, distributed to the 15 Security Council members on Saturday, anticipates a draft resolution the United States is planning that would place up to 20,000 peacekeepers along Lebanon's borders with Israel and with Syria.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will preside over a meeting of possible troop contributors to such a force, which would include the 25-member European Union, which has expressed interest, as well as Turkey and nations now contributing to a UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
The latter have proven themselves to be useless. They actively cooperated with Hezbollah. They should have no part whatsoever in this. Leaving them in sends a signal to the Hezbies that it'll be business as usual.
Chirac, whose country has emerged as the potential leader of the force, has said troops could not be sent until there was a cease-fire accompanied by a political deal.
Since his troops aren't actually supposed to, you know, do anything.
In many respects, the French draft is similar to proposals the United States and Annan have been discussing, except that it calls for an immediate end to the fighting. The United States alone has refused to back such calls, arguing that conditions first had to be ripe for a sustainable cease-fire.

In addition to an immediate cessation of hostilities, France, in its draft resolution, outlined the following conditions for a permanent cease-fire:
-The release of abducted Israeli soldiers and "settlement of issue" of Lebanese prisoners in Israel.

-Disarmament of all militia in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, and the deployment of the Lebanese army along the Israeli-Lebanese border and throughout the country

-A buffer zone in southern Lebanon between the Israeli border and the Litani River, free of any armed personnel and weapons, except those of the Beirut government's security forces and UN-mandated international forces.

-Annan, in coordination with regional and international parties, is to help secure agreement in principle from Lebanon and Israel for a political framework on the above cease-fire conditions.

-The UN Interim Force in Lebanon, after fighting has stopped, is to monitor implementation of an agreement and help humanitarian access and the return of the homeless.

-Delineation of international borders in Lebanon, especially the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms area, now part of Syria but claimed by Lebanon. Hizbollah, before the current fighting, has used the Shebaa Farms to justify armed resistance against Israel.

-The Security Council, after confirmation that Lebanon and Israeli have agreed in principle on a political framework for a sustainable cease-fire, should authorize deployment of an international force to support the Lebanese armed forces.
Posted by:Steve White

#4  France is well versed in ceasefires...

(kick a country when it's down - it's easier!)
Posted by: Raj   2006-07-30 06:21  

#3  that would place up to 20,000 blind peacekeepers along Lebanon's borders

A buffer zone in southern Lebanon between the Israeli border and the Litani River, free of any armed personnel and weapons, except those of the Beirut government's security forces and UN-mandated international forces.

Hezb'Allah would have to have ground troops in the area to protect/impede access to the launchers. If the IFor would actually keep them out so they couldn't become entrenched, it might actually help make it a serious hindrance to Hezb'Allah. Then again, they would have a head-start in getting back into the area before any conflict started, and they would enjoy many of the benefits of being "entrenched" possibly.

Annan, in coordination with regional and international parties, is to help secure agreement in principle from Lebanon and Israel for a political framework on the above cease-fire conditions.

Trying to give him some false sense of relevance/imporance, are we? I'll do it if he's too busy.

Delineation of international borders in Lebanon, especially the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms area, now part of Syria but claimed by Lebanon. Hizbollah, before the current fighting, has used the Shebaa Farms to justify armed resistance against Israel.

Maybe it's true. But I think it's just another weak excuse for fighting that only works in the minds of extremists. I wonder what they'll latch onto next.

Disarmament of all militia in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, and the deployment of the Lebanese army along the Israeli-Lebanese border and throughout the country

Give them a one-week deadline to comply before sending in large numbers of peacekeepers (AKA obstructions/hostages) and opening up the border to Syria. Failure to comply means Israel get to hit the "continue" button!
Posted by: gorb   2006-07-30 03:57  

#2  But who listens to France anymore, except arab and african countries who stop spitting in our face when they think they can get something out of it?
Posted by: anonymous5089   2006-07-30 02:14  

#1  No surprise here.

Anyway, french msm have already dubbed the israeli response a "failure", and the hizballah the victor... along with various reportages about the heroic lebanese red cross EMT deliberately targeted by the jooos but valiantly carrying on, the children traumatized by the war, the refugees coming back to France and worried sick about lebanon being destroyed by the jooos, the wimmen and kiddies killed by the indiscriminate bombings, etc, etc... ad nauseam.
Posted by: anonymous5089   2006-07-30 02:12  

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