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Photo: AP
Lebanese army troops
Photo: AP

Lebanon says to deploy army to south

Lebanese government, which includes two Hizbullah ministers, decides to send 15,000 troops to the south as Israeli troops pull out of territory; ‘this should open the way for the amendment of the draft resolution in accordance with Lebanese demands,’ senior Lebanese official says

The Lebanese government, which includes two Hizbullah ministers, decided on Monday to send 15,000 Lebanese troops to the south as Israeli troops pull out of the territory.

 

Lebanon hopes the unanimous decision of the government would pave the way for changes to a UN Security Council resolution to end 27 days of fighting between Israel and Hizbullah.

 

The Lebanese army had called up reservists ahead of the planned deployment to the south, where thousands of Israeli troops are fighting Hizbullah guerrillas.

 

The measure, which has long been demanded by the international community, was announced by Information Minister Ghazi Aridi after an extraordinary cabinet meeting.

 

“The government stresses its willingness to send a 15,000-strong Lebanese army force to deploy in south Lebanon as Israeli forces pull back behind the (border) Blue Line,” the cabinet said in a statement read by Aridi.

 

The statement said the army was willing to seek the help of a boosted UN Peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

 

Aridi did not explicitly say whether Hizbullah would pull out from border areas, adding that he would not reveal any future steps. But he said the army would be “Alone” in the south.

 

“This should open the way for the amendment of the draft resolution in accordance with Lebanese demands,” one senior source said.

 

Early ceasefire

 

Prime Minister Fouad Siniora called again for an early ceasefire but Lebanon has said it was unhappy with a US-French draft resolution to end the fighting, demanding that it include a call for the immediate withdrawal of Israel’s 10,000 troops from southern Lebanon.

 

Political sources said Saad al-Hariri, the head of the anti-Syrian majority in parliament, had held talks with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and contacted UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other French and European officials to push Lebanon’s demands.

 

Lebanon’s opposition has caused the United States and France to delay a vote on the resolution, although they have said they may submit a revised text on Monday.

 

While Israel has not formally commented on the draft resolution, one senior government official and Israeli media have said the Jewish state viewed it favorably, partly because it allowed soldiers to remain in southern Lebanon until an international force arrived to take over.

 

Arab League foreign ministers who met in Beirut sent a delegation to the United Nations to push through the amendments to the resolution that Lebanon wants.

 

It was not immediately clear how many reservists Lebanon had called up. Their role would be to extend the state’s control to the south of the country, as demanded by the UN Security Council, not to fight Israel.

 

The south of the country has been under the virtual control of Hizbullah guerrillas. They say they will cease fire only once all Israeli soldiers leave Lebanese land.

 

Israel is trying to push Hizbullah back to behind the Litani River, about 20 km (13 miles) from the border, in an effort to limit rocket attacks into northern Israel.

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.07.06, 23:05
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