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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Leb asks UN to demand pullout |
| 2006-08-07 |
| Lebanon officially asked Sunday for changes to a draft UN resolution agreed to by the United States and France that calls for a "full cessation of hostilities" in the Middle East conflict. In Israel, the normally talkative cabinet was tight-lipped, though reportedly pleased with the plan. The draft measure, presented to the UN Security Council on Saturday and reviewed by an expert-level meeting of the council Sunday, calls for an immediate cessation of attacks by Hezbollah and of offensive military operations by Israel. It asks the current United Nations peacekeeping force to monitor the border area and lays out a plan for a permanent cease-fire and political settlement. But it does not call for a prisoner exchange or require Israel to withdraw immediately from Lebanon, which raised dissent among council members. The Israeli cabinet, meanwhile, held a daylong session in which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reportedly told ministers not to discuss the matter publicly until it was completed. However, the Israeli media, citing unidentified government officials, said the government was generally pleased with the plan. Israel's justice minister, Haim Ramon, said that Israel would press ahead with its attacks and that its forces would stay in southern Lebanon until an international force arrived. "We must continue the fighting, continue to hit whoever we can hit from Hezbollah," he told army radio. |
| Posted by:Fred |