Officials: U.S., France reach Mideast resolution (US Appeasement?)

Yahoo/AP ^ | 8/5/2006 | AP

[tobyhill]

UNITED NATIONS - The United States and France reached agreement Saturday on a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at ending the fighting between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said.

Bolton refused to comment on the text, but an official with knowledge of the document said the draft calls for a “full cessation of violence” between Israel and Hezbollah, but would allow Israel the right to launch strikes if Hezbollah attacks it.

[tobyhill]

It won't end until the illegally kidnapped Israeli Soldiers are released.

[GeronL]

The United States and France reached agreement Saturday on a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at ending the fighting between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said

Its nice to know that 2 countries not involved have come to terms.

[the invisib1e hand]

I guess I'd be asking, if I were Israel, "who do you think you are?"

[mrsmel]

It's the same as how other countries are always willing to give away Israeli land.

[the invisib1e hand]

It's the same as how other countries are always willing to give away Israeli land.

Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten about that.

[gotribe]

When the enemy wants to kill all your people, and you want to achieve peace, then you have been defeated and your enemy is victorious.

[inkling]

I trust Bolton on this; he's earned my trust. And if Israel can attack as soon as the Hezbo's strike, this "cease fire" will last less than 10 minutes.

The Israelis won't agree to this text if it ties their hands too much. I also think they will demand return of their soldiers before any agreement is signed.

[goldstategop]

They're not the ones involved in the fighting and don't presume to speak for the parties who are. Its all a exercise in diplomatic make-believe.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[Thunder90]

Bolton may not have a choice but to come to agreement with the French. Condi is still his boss.

[NorCalRepub]

..have you guys even heard the terms yet....sounds more fair to Israel then could have been expected otherwise, plus won't even start till tues...plus any firing by Hezzie and Jews can respond and drop cease fire....plus they don't have to leave the land yet....plus hostages back....no prisoner exchange.....plus plus plus.....I don't think Bolton would lie down....do you......plus I think the Bush Admin is getting worried about Lebanon

[inkling]

Bolton may not have a choice but to come to agreement with the French. Condi is still his boss.

But Dubya is Condi's boss. Let's not all assume that the glass if half-empty. We haven't even seen the text.

[tobyhill]

Israel will let the resolution pass and then once, within 2 minutes, the Hezbos will fire another rocket, voiding the resolution, then Israel will resume strikes. We'll call it the world's shortest sanctioned ceasefire.

[GeronL]

Taxdollars in Wonderland

[Mike Darancette]

We'll defend N.Israel to the last Frenchman -- That's a good thing.

[Atlantic Friend]

Well, no surprise there. Both countries have an interest in ending the hostilities and maintaining stability in the Near-East.

[tobyhill]

The terms aren't bad for Israel but it's not reality because the Hezbos will violate the terms making the US look like village idiots for even involving ourselves while stopping something that is working.

[JasonC]

Since Hezbollah will attack Israel, as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, this is meaningless and dead on arrival.

[NorCalRepub]

I disagree totally....we won't look like idiots at all. It will look like we tried for peace...and Hezzie fu**ed it up so now we can wash our hands of the matter since we did all we could....I think it is a good move....since you know Hezzie will mess up....and then be the bad guys again

[tobyhill]

It's irrelevant because we all know thee Hezbos will violate it and they won't hand over the kidnapped soldiers until Iran and Syria lose their base in Lebanon.

[defenderSD]

I think you've hit the key point in this agreement: the Iranian mullocracy and Hezbollah are furious about a number of issues right now, so any cease fire will probably last less than eight hours. Hez is angry about being defeated by Israel while inflicting relatively little damage with their rocket barrages, while Iran is furious that the UN security council is basically united about sanctioning Iran's uranium enrichment program. So within about 8 hours Hez will fire more rockets and the Israeli soldiers and airmen will end up getting a rest and then going out again in less than 24 hours.

[inkling]

because the Hezbos will violate the terms making the US look like village idiots...

No, the "world community" that has been weeping for Hezbollah will look like Village Idiots. We will be proven right in our support for Israel.

[inkling]

We'll defend N.Israel to the last Frenchman -- That's a good thing.

Exactly. By working directly with the French, it is now in France's interest to keep the peace with their own soldiers.

[tobyhill]

I hope you're right but when have we ever got the credit for trying? When things fall apart it's always our fault regardless who violated the terms that we set up.

[the invisib1e hand]

We'll call it the world's shortest sanctioned ceasefire.

"The Six-Day Ceasefire?"

[oceanview]

however this turns out - israel is on board, they have been in the loop all along, the degree to which they wanted to go in on the ground - was their decision. the US gave them at much room as they wanted.

if this is the endgame - israel wants it.

[takenoprisoner]

Great news. Now all US and France has to do is convince terrorists to give up their 72 virgins.

[Jameison]

"Since Hezbollah will attack Israel, as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, this is meaningless and dead on arrival."

Yup.
Exactly how do they propose to get Hizbullah to stop firing rockets again? Or Iran and Syria to stop aupplying these vermin with rockets?

Luckily the Isrealis are not so naive:

"Israeli envoy to U.S.: No cease-fire until soldiers released

To be acceptable to Israel, he said a final UN resolution on ending hostilities would have to include freedom for the soldiers, who could be passed on by Hezbollah to the Lebanese government for release.

Ayalon said Israel was pressing for implementation of UN Resolution 1559, which includes the disarming of Hezbollah and the deployment of the Lebanese Army into southern Lebanon.

In addition, he said there needed to be safeguards included in the resolution to prevent Hezbollah's main backers, Syria and Iran, from shipping arms to militias fighting Israel in southern Lebanon. "

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1678017/posts

[JasonC]

They won't hand them over after the lose their base, either. Give them up, they are gone.

[JasonC]

Yeah, there are wishes and there are horses. Israel won't get any of this stuff. Ever. They also don't have to stop.

[tobyhill]

We won't talk to the Hezbos so their excuse will be that they won't ceasefire until we talk directly to them and then the UN will get on our case about not talking to them. It's the terrorist/UN game they like to play.

[Honestfreedom]

Any cease fire that just locks the status quo in place is a defeat for Israel and the USA.

[Jameison]

"They also don't have to stop"

Exactly.

[kesg]

According to FNC's website:

"It does not say immediate cessation of violence," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the draft had not yet been made public.

That appeared to be a major victory for the U.S. and Israel. France and many other nations had demanded an immediate halt to the fighting without conditions as a way to push the region back toward stability.

[jiggyboy]

This "treaty" or whatever you want to call it is being brokered by two outside parties. Traditionally, each representative would be acting as the trusted friend of one of the combatants. The unspeakable truth is that here France officially gives notice to the world that it is Hezbollah's agent.

[tobyhill]

Just heard n MSNBC the Hezbos just rejected the proposal before it was proposed.

[Founding Father]

The Israelis won't agree to this text if it ties their hands too much.

Never underestimate Olmert's ability to do the wrong thing for Israel. Many of his countrymen now openly call him a traitor.

[tobyhill]

I wish Israel would level a large city in Lebanon like Tyre so that way every time the camel jockeys claim they won Israel can distribute the pictures proving otherwise. In war there is one way to determine a winner, who kills the most and who destroys the most.

[bobsunshine]

You are correct in that we will get credit, because at least we tried. And we will get the credit because, I hate to say this, we agreed with the French and therefore we are not pushing for the resolution alone.

Hezbol will mess up and Israel will respond. Also, one key point in the article:

But it does not call for an "immediate cessation of violence," those officials said...

[angkor]

"....would allow Israel the right to launch strikes if Hezbollah attacks it."

That sounds like a dealbreaker.

[tobyhill]

Worlds shortest ceasefire.

[Axhandle]

This is big news. Nothing is more effective than a UN resolution. Israel and Hezbollah will now march hand-in-hand into the sunset as brothers in peace.

[Firefox1]

This "treaty" or whatever you want to call it is being brokered by two outside parties. Traditionally, each representative would be acting as the trusted friend of one of the combatants. The unspeakable truth is that here France officially gives notice to the world that it is Hezbollah's agent.

You've got this wrong. The French hate the Hezbos. In fact, France has suffered from Hezbos terrorism the most next to Israel and perhaps the US. The French are doing two things here. One: They are establishing themselves as a serious player in the region by jerking around the US. Two: They are annoying the hell out of the Hezbos by making an agreement the Hezbos do not want to make.

The Hezbos will die before they accept a deal where they don't get at least one morsal of a victory (Remember these fanatics have demented pride). In the end, the French may get a chance to shoot at the Hezbos as this plays out. Annoy America and annoy the Hezbos all in one day. Not bad.

[TomGuy]

Else we forget the results of appeasement...

Peace in our time - Chamberlain Video

[OldArmy52]

But aren't the French going to disarm, disband the Hezzies and guarantee the peace?

[tobyhill]

They'll be singing Kumbaya in the Poppy Fields.

[jschwartz]

Worried about what? I'd be worried too; that's why they have been unequivocal so far. What are you talking about?

[BunnySlippers]

And Bush is Condi's boss.

[John999]

but that is not how the media will report it. Unfortunately, they will lie and distort

[johnny7]

The Czech's got the same deal in 1938.

[McGavin999]

They can reach all the agreements they want to but until the parties directly concerned reach agreement it means squat.