GERMANY: Germany says U.N. seems agreed on Middle East resolution

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday (August 8) that the U.N. Security Council appeared to have reached agreement on a resolution designed to end the war between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas. "An agreement between the members of the Security Council appears now to have been reached," Steinmeier told reporters in Berlin before leaving for a Middle East trip. He added that such a resolution would present a real chance to bring about a ceasefire in the region, where hundreds have been killed in the conflict over the past month. However, for it to succeed, Steinmeier said both Lebanon and Israel would have to agree to a peacekeeping force being installed in the border area in the south of Lebanon. Steinmeier said he aimed to secure support for the U.N. resolution during his trip to the region. The Lebanese government on Monday decided to send 15,000 of its troops to the south as Israeli forces pull out of the territory. Beirut hoped the move would pave the way for changes to a draft U.N. Security Council resolution to end the fighting. Lebanon has said it was unhappy with the U.S.-French draft resolution, demanding that it include a call for the immediate withdrawal of Israel's 10,000 troops from southern Lebanon. Though Israel has not formally commented on the draft, a senior government official said the Jewish state viewed it favourably, partly because it allowed soldiers to remain in south 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. The south of the country has been under the virtual control of Hizbollah guerrillas. They say they will cease fire only once all Israeli soldiers leave Lebanese land. CW/JRC

ITN Source | August 8, 2006

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