Posted on 07/29/2006 8:28:11 PM PDT by 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)
>>Absolutely not.
The french will gladly become human shields to protect Hezbollah to keep Israel from being able to defend itself after being attacked.<<
Disclaimer: I was born in France (American Army brat - both parents from Georgia)
IMHO, The French are itching for a chance to show off their weaponry. I can see this ending badly.
Did you mean "Man chow?"
(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)
>>>The "fly in the ointment" that Hezbollah will not agree to.
>>>There is another fly, which Israel shouldn't agree for: the presence of the Lebanon army in the buffer zone. It sounds like a wolf - herd's supervisor...
>>>Too many flies in such a small quantity of ointment.
This is a bad deal. The French as well as the Lebanese army will shield the Hezbollah. This is kind of obvious. Why are the French so quick to step up to the plate? It makes you wonder. The Israeli's should request more neutral countries. Otherwise, the media will have a field day when Frenchies are sent flying.
Precisely what I predicted would happen........last week.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1673757/posts
post 239....
"That leaves France. Lebanon was French for a long time after WW I ...... France needs a role to play to regain it's lost status. France has a large lebanese population. France has been accepted by the GCC. France is therefore elected. "
Now the only thing left is to stop the rocket attacks, and secure them. Piece of cake.
Wow.. lets get Iran and Syria to contribute a peacekeeping force too... and then the neo-nazi's and Louis Farrakhan while we're at it....
The French can field some good soldiers despite our constant taunting of them as a nation. Their politics are screwed up, but their armed forces is what keeps them a power. They've served in Africa from what I understand. Mostly trying to continue French imperialism by attempting to subjugate African nations with brutal and unethical tactics that I imagine would shock the world if the socialists ever let it become widespread knowledge. I know a fella from Western Africa and his contacts have relayed horror stories of French atrocities in that region.
Anyways, Israel doesn't need the threat of the French running interference on their borders right now. France still has access to substantial resources and would be a major problem in resolving the issues at hand. The French would inevitably aid the terrorists via their financial ties with terrorist regimes and through direct aid to terrorists among the Lebanese.
All while blaming Israel for any violence.
I can only see bad things happening if the world accepts a French occupation force as legitimate.
How exactly will the Useless Nitwits make a terrorists honor a ceasefire?
French troops? French targets.
Good point.
Why are the French so quick to step up to the plate?
You'll probably laugh, but they say, it's because they're former colonial rulers of the country....
Same with the Turks, with that difference, that Frenchies inherited Lebanon from Napoleon, and had lost this heirloom even quicker than Algeria; and the Turks' Ottoman Empire ruled there for centuries. As a matter of fact, Syria also was their possession and, if I'm not mistaken, the same "pasha" (mandarin) quite successfully managed both.
It could be a nice permanent solution, eh?
I'm sure Hezbollah is quaking in their sheets. If having the IDF cavorting among them hasn't been sufficiently impressive, I sort of doubt they are much worried about the French. If the Lebanese Army worried them, they'd be holed up in Syria, or at least in the Syrian end of the Beka Valley.
I believe there are way more Muzzie/Jihadie voters in France than Jewish ones. You figure it out.
We should refuse, unless the Iranians and Saudis each pony up a match of 3 to 1 of any US dollars sent to the region. It was after all their stooges Hamas and Hezbollah that precipitated the fighting. Otherwise, nada.
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