Siniora accepts deal, praises Hizbullah
With government vote on UN ceasefire resolution hours away, Lebanon's prime minister says plan to end fighting between Israel, Hizbullah serves his country's interests; 'steadfastness of resistance fighters in field was very important,' he adds
With a government vote on the UN ceasefire resolution
hours away, Lebanon's prime minister Saturday said the plan to end fighting between Israel
and Hizbullah
served his country's interests.
Fuad Saniora signaled that his cabinet would approve the plan when it met later Saturday.
"This resolution shows that the whole world stood by Lebanon," He told reporters.
The UN resolution, unanimously adopted in the Security Council, calls deployment of 15,000 Lebanese soldiers along the Israeli border with an equal number of UN Peacekeepers. That force would stand between Israeli forces and Hizbullah as Israel withdraws completely from the south of the country and Hizbullah ceases all military activity.
Praising Hizbullah guerrillas, the prime minister said: "The steadfastness of the resistance fighters in the field was very important, as was the steadfastness and unity of the people," he said.
The cabinet was to meet at 5 p.m. to vote on accepting the UN plan, which was written by the United States and France.
The Israel government was expected to take up the ceasefire resolution on Sunday.
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