Posted on 07/24/2006 11:58:06 AM PDT by areafiftyone
Nabih Beri, Lebanon's parliament speaker and Hezbollah's de facto negotiator, rejected proposals brought by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday, inisisting a cease-fire must preceed any talks about resolving Hezbollah's presence in the south, an official close to the speaker said.
Rice's talks with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora also appeared to have been tense. Siniora told Rice that Israel's bombardment was taking his country "backwards 50 years" and also called for a "swift cease-fire," the prime minister's office said.
An official close to Beri said his talks with Rice failed to "reach an agreement because Rice insisted on one full package to end the fighting."
The package included a cease-fire, simultaneous with the deployment of the Lebanese army and an international force in south Lebanon and the removal of Hezbollah weapons from a buffer zone extending 30 kilometers from the Israeli border, said the official. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.
Beri rejected the package, proposing instead a two-phased plan. First would come a cease-fire and negotiations for a prisoner swap. Then an inter-Lebanese dialogue would work out a solution to the situation in south Lebanon, said the official.
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
The Lebanese government apparently has zero desire to negotiate in good faith.
Strange how it's always the one with the leakiest umbrella that calls for an end to the rain...
Good - why let them re arm?
I saw one Lebanese minister on tv this morning with miles obrien, and he for all intents and purposes said the whole problem was Israels fault.
Further, he seems to have consumed the Kool aid and is carrying the party line than nothing can happen until Israel relents.
The Syrian ambassador, who came up next, compared the Hezbollah to George Washington. Even the CNN guy had a hard time swallowing that crap.
Last week he said if Israel invaded by ground the Lebanese Army would fight side by side with Hezbollah against Israel.
Yawn...
Hezbollah already setting up permanent war in south Lebanon. Iran pays a lot of money to get its satisfaction for war. Who will be blamed? The United States, the media narrative setting us up for the blame already.
So much for all the folks bad mouthing Rice and the Bush administration for visiting the Lebanese "gov't".
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. also
2006israelwar or WOT
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The deal killer.
removal of Hezbollah weapons from a buffer zone extending 30 kilometers from the Israeli border
Nasrallah: I Told Lebanese Political Leaders We Would Abduct Israeli Soldiers
Go Israel, continue to take out the trash.
I see no reason to bother with cease-fire negotiations -- after all, when they are dead, the fire will cease.
Nabih Beri, Nabih Beri. That name seems so familiar from the past, but I can't place it.
I wish we could go in there and help out Israel. But I don't think that will ever happen.
Where are they?
"The Syrian ambassador, who came up next, compared the Hezbollah to George Washington. Even the CNN guy had a hard time swallowing that crap."
And now Syria wants to negotiate. However, they want the Israelis to give up the Goan Heights before Syria comes to the table.
Israel should cut a swath through Lebanon right to the Syrian border. Then force NATO Troops to monitor the Syrian/Lebanese border.
He still is or was the leader of the pro-Syrian Amal movement - Amal is a political and paramilitary organization representing the Shi_a of Lebanon.
From answers.com:
Berri again served as a Cabinet minister from 1989 to 1992, when he was elected Speaker of the National Assembly on November 20. The position of Speaker, which the Constitution reserves for a Shiite, is the highest governmental position a Shiite can obtain. He is viewed by many as a puppet of the Syrian government, and is a close ally of the pro-Syrian President, Emile Lahoud. Berri is also accused of having embezzeled millions of dollars, being a main collaborator of the Syrian regime. He is also thought to have blackmailed many politicians, including former prime minister Rafik Hariri. He claims to be the leader of the Shi'ite community in Lebanon, although two-thirds of the Shi'ite population deny him of any right in the Amal Movement or the Parliament Presidency. He is viewed by many of Lebanon's intellectuels to be corrupt, but by most of his uneducated supporters he is represented as a hero.
Wasn't he James Bond's love interest in "Die Another Day"?
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