Lebanon airs doubt about resolution

The Australian ^ | August 12, 2006 | From correspondents in United Nations

[mdittmar]

LEBANON expressed profound doubts about the likelihood of today's UN ceasefire resolution being able to end a ravaging month-old war between Israel and the Shiite militia Hezbollah.

Lebanese acting Foreign Minister Tarek Mitri was scathing in his criticism of Israel during an address to the UN Security Council shortly after the body unanimously adopted the long-awaiting resolution.

"For a month now, as the world continues to watch and the international community continues to watch, Israel has besieged and ravaged Lebanon, creating a humanitarian and environmental disaster," he said.

Mr Mitri characterised the weeks of Israeli artillery and aerial bombardments against his country as a "strategy of terror" and an "obscenely disproportionate and unjustifiable" retaliation for Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel.

Israeli attacks have killed more than 1100 civilians, a third of them children, in just over four weeks, he said, compared to about 120 Israeli deaths from Hezbollah rocket fire.

The minister went on to express grave concerns about the terms of the UN ceasefire plan, which calls on Israeli troops to halt all "offensive" operations but does not insist on an immediate halt to fighting.

"A ceasefire that is incomplete is not a true ceasefire. A ceasefire that retains for one side the right not to cease firing is not a ceasefire," Mr Mitri said.

"The Lebanese are not confident in Israeli distinction between 'defensive' and 'offensive'," he added. "The end to military operations should be unqualified."

Mr Mitri also complained that the UN resolution did not call for an immediate end to trade blockades imposed on the country by Israeli forces for the stated purpose of preventing arms shipments to Hezbollah.

Despite Mitri's pessimistic comments, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed confidence earlier Friday that the Lebanese government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora would approve the UN resolution at a special meeting on Saturday.

Following Mitri's remarks, she said simply, "We will now endeavour to work very hard" to implement the resolution.

[mdittmar]

Missed it by that much;)

[dirtboy]

Well, if Lebanon is squalling, the resolution might just have a bit of potential.

[diverteach]

I agree.

[sinkspur]

Are all the Lebanese a bunch of crybabies?

[Battleofbritain]

I have doubts about the resolution too. Israel should have been able to completely invade the country, kill or arrest all of Hizbullah's leadership, and destroy their TV networks and any other infrastructure.

[goldfinch]

Hmmmm...When I read the resolution, I thought I amounted to restoring the status quo...basically a disaster for Israel. This is probably just posturing on the part of Lebanon. But it might be better in the long run if they would refuse it...

[airborne]

See. That didn't take long.

[diverteach]

My hope is that there is a no confidence vote on Olmert over the weekend and Bibi steps in to say NO, then proceeds to open up that can of whoopass the rest of the way.

[Lurker]

There's a very small minority of Lebanese who are decent people. Most of those have already fled Lebanon.

90% of the rest are in complete agreement with the goals of Hezbolla.

As such, they have made themselves enemies of the civilized world.

L

[No Longer Free State]

What are they upset about? That the Isreali PM's head wasn't offered on a platter as part of the surrender resloution?

[mdittmar]

It will be all over the old media,Lebanese acting Foreign Minister Tarek Mitri is not happy.

And the beat goes on

[msnimje]

Israel should tell the UN they will give them the response on October 22.
If it works for Iran (August 22) it should work for Israel.

[airborne]

We couldn't find any results containing www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?

[mdittmar]

Ha!,thanks,I needed a laugh.

[airborne]

No, seriously.

Your link doesn't work.

[cjmae]

I think everyone is fooling themselves by thinking that the Lebanese government is an ally in this.
If they wanted Hezbola out they would have been crying about it years ago.
I don't believe Iran wants peace so I don't have much hope for this ending soon.
I don't like violence and I want my kids to grow up in the same sort of culture that I did and not one of constant war and destruction but I think it will be bad if Israel pulls out and everything stops for now.

[mdittmar]

It's real player sonny and cher,And the beat goes on.

[yldstrk]

Lebanon created its own disaster by allowing Hizb'allah freaks to exists within its borders. Horbor terrorists and you will pay the piper.

[blam]

"My hope is that there is a no confidence vote on Olmert over the weekend and Bibi steps in to say NO, then proceeds to open up that can of whoopass the rest of the way."

I wish that would happen too.

[JasonC]

They aren't in charge. They didn't declare war and they can't undeclare it. Hezbollah could stop firing rockets and hand over their PWs at any time, but haven't. They aren't going to because some conclave of infidels tells them they are not pleased by the war and wish it would stop.