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Israel widens airstrikes into Lebanon
 Israeli warplanes launched wide-ranging airstrikes and sent commandos into the Hezbollah heartland Saturday while the U.N. raced to begin enforcing its new cease-fire blueprint and stop the fighting. Airstrikes killed at least 15 people in one Lebanese village. Israel also blasted a highway near Lebanon's last open border crossing to Syria as it kept up its full-scale campaign against Hezbollah militants. Long columns of Israeli tanks, troops and armored personnel carriers streamed over the border.The U.N. plan approved on Friday night would create a peacekeeping force by combining a beefed-up version of the ineffective U.N. units already in the war zone and 15,000 troops from the Lebanese army. The contingent, which could number around 30,000 soldiers, would stand between Israel and the Hezbollah militia. Israel's Cabinet meets Sunday to approve the U.N. plan. Lebanese officials signaled that their formal backing could come Saturday. Israel's army chief, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, said Israel has nearly tripled the number of forces in Lebanon and expects to fight for another week despite the cease-fire deal. He said Israeli forces apparently about 30,0000 now would stay in Lebanon until an international force arrives. Israel has demanded an airtight buffer zone and wonders if U.N. and Lebanese forces are up for the task. A small U.N. military presence now about 2,000 soldiers have been in Hezbollah-controlled southern Lebanon since 1978 and have been overwhelmed by the Islamic group's rising power, aided by Iran and Syria. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice specifically cited Hezbollah's two sponsors in a statement Friday for all parties to "respect the sovereignty of the Lebanese government and the will of the international community." But the resolution, approved 15-0 in the U.N. Security Council, did nothing to immediately halt the fighting that erupted exactly a month ago and has claimed more than 800 lives. Details of fighting at link. Posted by: ed 2006-08-12 |
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