France, Lebanon to deploy to border with Israel

www.ynetnews.com ^ | (07.30.06, 01:10) | Ronny Sofer

[Esther Ruth]

France, Lebanon to deploy to border with Israel

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert meets with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at his Jerusalem residence Saturday night; Rice reveals initial plans for international peacekeeping force: France, Lebanese army to take part, and will also guard Syria-Lebanon border. Leaders agree diplomatic agreement dependant on release of kidnapped soldiers

Ronny Sofer

The French and Lebanese armies will take part in the multinational peacekeeping force expected to take position along the southern Lebanese border, it was revealed following a meeting between US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem.

The two met at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Jerusalem late Saturday night for nearly two hours, most of which was spent in one-on-one talks.

US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs C. David Welch, National Security Council Director for Near East and North African Affairs Elliot Abrams on the American side and Olmert’s chief-of-staff Dr. Yoram Turbovitz, his diplomatic advisor Shalom Turgeman, and his military adviser Maj.-Gen. Gadi Shamni for the Israeli side also joined in for some of the talks.

Productive meeting betwee Rice, Olmert (Photo: GPO)

The meeting was reportedly held in a cordial atmosphere, and between the diplomatic deliberations, Rice and Olmert took dinner together. Olmert’s office said that during the entire meeting, Rice did not at all press the issue of a ceasefire .

Towards a diplomatic solution

The two leaders agreed that any diplomatic arrangement to end the fighting would be dependent on the release of kidnapped IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev .

Regarding the establishment of a multinational peacekeeping force, the conditions for its establishment, the length of its mandate and its responsibilities were not yet finalized, although Rice expressed optimism that it would be set up very soon.

Olmert and Rice did not discuss the size of multinational peacekeeping force to be established. Likewise, the question of which countries, other than France and Lebanon, would partake in the force was not confronted.

However, Rice did note that the Lebanese and French armies would deploy along the Syrian-Lebanese border to the east, as well as along the southern border with Israel.

Minimizing humanitarian crisis

The two also did not discuss Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora’s proposal for a ceasefire. However, Rice did request of the prime minister that Israel avoid striking Lebanese infrastructure.

The Prime Minister’s Bureau noted that Rice expressed her appreciation to Israel for its actions towards easing the humanitarian crisis for Lebanese citizens by opening channels for the transport of aid.

According to Rice, Israel’s cooperation in enabling aid delivery via the Beirut airport, seaports and by land greatly contributed to the US’s stance during the Rome summit last week in which representatives from 15 nations convened to brainstorm solutions for the Israel-Lebanon crisis.

(07.30.06, 01:10)

[EQAndyBuzz]

Nice to know the UN is doing this without Israels approval.

[jocko12]

The only way this will work is by taking the U.N. out of it and use NATO.

[Neophyte]

Yes, this is the conditio sine qua non... but are you sure they're alive?

As to Cpl Gilad, taken by Hamas, I think he is, sadly, dead. Otherwise they would have shown him on TV one thousand times till now.

[Esther Ruth]

We've got to put some fly traps in our barn, nothing like gettin em all in one place and trapping them, done with them all, once and for all.

[Washi]

Which side is France on?

[Esther Ruth]

7. French M.R.E.'s with dehydrated Escargot

Ewww, pretty stuff.

[Neophyte]

What I really cannot see, is how the Lebanese army, even if they do have such intention, would disarm Hezballah.

In an article in the British Guardian (the closest they have to a Communist rag) some Hezbollah figures brag that they have the best intelligence and security systems in the country, so they know very well who of the Lebanese politicians speak against them. And they threaten to deal with them after the end of this war... they certainly have all the necessary means for that.

Hezballah has totally hijacked Lebanon.

[Mongeaux]

Don't knock it till you have tried it, Mon Chou!

[Mike Darancette]

Actually, I think Rice's plan sounds fine..........just wait about 3-4 more weeks before implementing it, Condi.

Condi is s-l-o-w walking it around. Which is the right thing to do.

[dmeara]

If Hezbollah is not chased through Syria to the Iranian centrifuges and all three not destroyed, this opportunity will be lost.

The balance of power will be changed in the middle east.

[Mike Darancette]

Lastly, the resolution would ask the international community to give financial and humanitarian support to Lebanon urgently.

Sigh, looks like we'll be paying for this too.

[Clinging Bitterly]

Doubt there needs to be agreement from Hezbollah to anything. They are not a nation/state, but merely a gang of criminals.

Lebanon has the responsibility to keep in check what goes on within it's borders and secure the release of those hostages. Don't hear much in the media about what, if any, steps they are taking to do that. Instead they are characterized as innocent victims.

[dk/coro]

I concur completely. This UN plan is a recipe for disaster -- and a continuation of the nurturing of terrorism in the state of Lebanon.

Farcical is not a strong enough description of this ludicrously toothless plan.

[bybybill]

NOBODY

[RJL]

France, Lebanon to deploy to border with Israel

Will the French troops be bringing their own rockets to fire into Israel, or using Hezbollah's rockets?

/S

[gondramB]

Me: kind of makes you wonder - what if we weren't always available - who would step up?

bill: NOBODY

At first, if we don't take the lead in these situations it may seem that way. But Britain has a spine and so do the Aussies. Germany and Japan have let us take the lead but they would eventually take a more active military role - and they have the tech.

I think you'd find that the French have a spine but they've been cutting off their noses to spite their face - they want so much to show Independence from the U.S. that they have sunk into a knee deep quagmire of inaction. Them showing spine isn't necessarily gonna be for the good.

Consider this scenario:

French and Lebanese units are on there Israeli border. Hezbollah fires rockets from the area. Israel strikes back and hits a combination French/Lebanese unit. The French fire on the jets that are attacking them.

Does that sound far fetched?

[bybybill]

yup

[Proud_USA_Republican]

No.

This will become another UN oil for food scam. The french will sit around doing nothing while Hezbollah rearms and Syria & Iran will be able to exert even more influence over the country. Who wants to bet part of this deal will be the french selling lots of shiney new weapons and hardware to the Lebanese army, which over 1/3 is shiites loyal to Hezbollah?

[gondramB]

>>No.

This will become another UN oil for food scam. The french will sit around doing nothing while Hezbollah rearms and Syria & Iran will be able to exert even more influence over the country.<<

Ok, well... thats another bad way it could go. I guess that's better than a war between Israel and France.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Absolutely not.

The french will gladly become human shields to protect Hezbollah to keep Israel from being able to defend itself after being attacked.