Posted on 08/17/2006 10:57:06 AM PDT by lizol
LEBANON: D'ALEMA, WE ARE NOT GOING TO DISARM HEZBOLLAH
(AGI) - Rome, Aug. 17 - The Italian blue helmets will not go in the south of Lebanon to disarm the Hezbollah militias. The foreign minister Massimo D'Alema clarified this, after the arguments in recent days about the rules of recruitment for the Italian soldiers that will participate in the United Nations' mission.
In an interview for Espresso, the vice-president of the Council also mentioned once again his analysis of the war: even speaking as a "friend of Israel", he repeated that he considered it "a political mistake" on the part of Ehud Olmert's government. The soldiers, explained D'Alema, will be assigned the task of "assisting the Lebanese army in acquiring full sovereignty in the south." As for the Hezbollah militias, they must integrate themselves in the Lebanese armed forces. It will be an operation that will take "years." D'Alema defended the choice of taking part in the international mission, just as the Italian government is withdrawing from Iraq. "There are huge differences between the two missions; the sphere is completely different. We are going in with the blue helmets, abiding by the constitutional mandate and to guarantee peace. The peace condition is the presence of the U.N. armed forces. We can't do more than this." In addition the disarming of Hezbollah "is provided for by a Lebanese agreement, thus we are going there to help Lebanon do what they themselves have decided to do. It is not an outside imposition." In any case, the mission does have some risks. "There are some risks," admitted the head of Italian diplomacy, "but it is wrong to say that out soldiers are going there to disarm Hezbollah, which is now perceived in large areas of the Lebanese population, be it right or wrong, as a sort of national resistance armed force after the disastrous political error represented by this war."
D'Alema then denied having pre-announced a departure of the Italian soldiers within ten days. He clarified, "I never said this; I stated that we are in a position to be quickly deployed once all the international and national political steps are completed." (AGI)
Some countries through their own cowardice give up the right to exist.
Some countries through their own cowardice give up the right to exist.
I wish that it were cowardice!
At least that is undestandable and rational.
I hold a darker view: many (all the muslims) Lebanese hold the exact same beliefs and resolve for destruction as Hezbollah does...
Some countries through their own cowardice give up the right to exist.
I wish that it were cowardice!
At least that is undestandable and rational.
I hold a darker view: many (all the muslims) Lebanese hold the exact same beliefs and resolve for destruction as Hezbollah does...
If the Lebanese government refuses to disarm Hizbollah (and they are refusing) they should be added to the list of terrorist supporting states.
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