 BEIRUT - Israel said on Wednesday it would lift an eight-week-old air and sea blockade against Lebanon on Thursday, handing over control to international forces. It said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had been told by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan that “international forces are ready to take over control posts over the sea ports and airports of Lebanon”.
| Reeeaaally? Which international forces? |
“Thus it was was agreed that tomorrow at 6 p.m. (1500 GMT), Israel will leave the control positions over the ports in conjunction with the entry of the international forces,” a statement from Olmert’s office said.
Lebanon had vowed to bust the blockade if it was not lifted by Friday.
In a sign the end of the embargo was imminent, British Airways said it was resuming direct flights to Beirut after the British government gave assurances it would be safe to do so. LebanonÂ’s Middle East Airlines and Royal Jordanian began flying regularly into the capital last month, but have complied with IsraelÂ’s insistence all such flights go via Amman. Qatar Airways resumed direct flights to Beirut on Monday.
But Israel said it reserved the right to take action to stop any arms smuggling across the Syrian border to the Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla group until the U.N. Security Council that ushered in the Aug. 14 truce was fully implemented. “We will continue to supervise to see that no weapons arrive through the Syrian-Lebanese border,” Miri Eisin, a spokesman for Olmert, told Reuters.
| Doubt it, unless you want more international condemnation every time an IAF plane overflies Lebanon. |
“We see international forces as the best solution ... Until there is an accepted solution to the way (the U.N. Security Council ban on arms shipments) can be implemented, Israel will continue to act in self-defence to make sure no arms arrive.” |