LEBANON: Lebanon's parliament speaker says Beirut rejects a draft U.N. Security Council resolution; diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis continue

While Lebanon's parliament speaker said Beirut rejected a draft U.N. Security Council resolution, diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis continued on Sunday (August 6), with foreign diplomats meeting Lebanese officials in the capital. Nabih Berri, a Shi'ite politician who has been the main channel between Hizbollah and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, said the U.S.-French draft ignored the Beirut government's seven-point plan calling for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the return of all displaced civilians among other things. "I hope they will reconsider the U.N. Security Council draft resolution according to Lebanon's interests and according to the government seven point plan because all of Lebanon rejects any talks or draft resolution which disregards the seven-point plan," Berri said. The French-U.S. resolution calls for a "full cessation of hostilities based upon, in particular, the immediate cessation by Hizbollah of all attacks and the immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations". A vote is expected on Monday or Tuesday. After that, another resolution is envisaged in a week or two setting conditions for a permanent ceasefire and authorising an international force to deploy in southern Lebanon. "That would mean going back to (the situation) before the 24th of May 2000 and worse than that, is that this time, there is no April Agreement. This means that the slaughtering of civilians is permitted. After every operation of the resistance - and this is the natural right of the resistance when there are soldiers on the ground and Lebanon is occupied - the Israeli response will be not to take into account the April agreement. U.N. Security Council resolution 425 was for the good of Lebanon but now if the (new) resolution is drafted, 425 will be against Lebanon and without taking into account the April agreement, this will allow more massacres." The April agreement of 1996 established a "blue line" as a borderline between Israel and Lebanon. Among the foreign officials visiting the capital, was Syrian foreign minister Walid Mouallem who arrived for a meeting with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud. Lebanon will seek support for its position from Arab foreign ministers due to meet in Beirut on Monday (August 7). Mouallem, reiterated that Syria would respond if Israel attacks it. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora met ambassadors representing the 15 countries members in the U.N. Security Council for talks over the U.S.-French resolution. Speaking to reporters after the meeting French ambassador to Lebanon Bernard Emie said that Siniora presented the government's point of view concerning the resolution as France explained its position and that work will continue in this sense. "(Lebanese) Prime Minister Siniora met ambassadors of 15 countries members of the U.N. Security Council to present Lebanon's conditions (over French-U.S. draft resolution) and we have explained our position and the work will continue," said Emie. Israeli troops are trying to drive Hizbollah back from the border area, from where the group has fired barrages of rockets into the Jewish state. A Hizbollah rocket killed 10 reserve soldiers in northern Israel on Sunday. Hizbollah leaders have sworn to fight as long as Israeli soldiers remain in southern Lebanon.

ITN Source | August 6, 2006

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