AP: Hezbollah politicians back peace package

[Eugene]

Friday, July 28, 2006 · Last updated 5:57 p.m. PT

Hezbollah politicians back peace package

By SAM F. GHATTAS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Hezbollah politicians, while expressing reservations,
have joined their critics in the government in agreeing to a peace package
that includes strengthening an international force in south Lebanon and
disarming the guerrillas, the government said.

The agreement - reached after a heated six-hour Cabinet meeting -
was the first time that Hezbollah has signed onto a proposal for ending
the crisis that includes the deploying of international forces.

The package falls short of American and Israeli demands in that it calls
for an immediate cease-fire before working out details of a force and
includes other conditions.

But European Union officials said Friday the proposals form a basis for an
agreement, increasing the pressure on the United States to call for a
cease-fire.

-snip-

Full article: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107AP_Mideast_Fighting_Peace_Package.html

[Just Me]

1. The barbarians will reject it. Why?

You know why.

[barb162]

2. Hez must be running low on rockets

ceasefire/ restock the shelves

[Freedom_from_Chains]

3. No, I think they have plenty of rockets, or can get more if they

run low. They are just trying to maneuver the administration into an awkward position, which shouldn't be too difficult to do.

[barb162]

5. Yeah, except for Bush and Blair are gonna try to do some sort

of deal with the UN for a cessation of fighting or whatever it turns into next week

[Freedom_from_Chains]

6. I don't know as I think part of their plan is to try and prove that

the U.N. is not up to the challenge here and therefore is irrelevant.

[barb162]

7. Well I doubt many countries will be lining up to get their apps

in for guard duty over there

[Freedom_from_Chains]

9. I think you have that right. n/t

[Yupster]

18. Agree

Especially if Hezbullah gets to keep their rockets.

Who would want to be in the middle when Hezbullah starts launching rockets again and Israel hits back. What can a group in the middle do about it except sit there in the middle like a target.

[daleo]

13. Do you prefer that the fighting continue?

Even Israel can't easily sustain a long term war. People get killed, a lot of money is spent, and the people called up for military duty can't do their regular jobs. The economy suffers.

It looks like a quick victory over Hezbollah is not in the cards, so a ceasefire seems like an inevitability.

[Recursion]

16. No, they want to embarrass WarChimp

By making him be the one that kills a ceasefire deal.

It will be interesting (and positive) if Israel calls their bluff and declares a ceasefire, with combined NATO and Arab League monitors in southern Lebanon. That's the last thing Hezbollah wants.

[mom cat]

4. I seriously do hope that this will pressure the US and Israel to

sign on to a cessation of violence. Bush has been draging out the slaughter, and I think that the EU is fed up with his arrogant, illegal foreign policy.

[barb162]

8. I hope the Hez militants sign up, not just hez politicians

They are the ones who started this slaughter by killing and kidnapping Israeli troops

[mom cat]

10. It is hard to draw a line and say what started this horrible situation. I

have heard different theories of causation from both sides. The main thing now is to find a way to stop the bloodshed.

[LostinVA]

11. Not true

As stated ad nauseum on DU over the last two weeks.

Although I condemn them for their subsequent actions.

[barb162]

12. So Kofi Annan doesn't know what's he's talking about?

He condemned that action of hez killing and capturing the Israeli troops as stated ad nauseum on these boards over the last few weeks

[catmother]

15. agreed.

[High Plains]

20. And Israel is the one that escalated this into a full-blown war.

[ShockediSay]

14. Yeah, and Hamas offered Israel a truce and look what it got them

New York Times, July 9
Stephen Erlanger

One could argue that Israel's response to this offer was
one of the factors pushing Hezbollah into action.

[nashville_brook]

17. where's the 'nords?

[allemand]

19. WP: Rice 'Encouraged' by Hezbollah Comments

By Robin Wright
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 29, 2006; 7:24 AM

DOHA, Qatar, July 29 -- En route to a new round of Middle East negotiations, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday that she was encouraged by Hezbollah's general agreement to disarm and accept an international force in Lebanon, which she called a "positive step" that also strengthens the Lebanese government in the illusive search for a cease-fire.

"Obviously we are all trying to get to a cease-fire as quickly as possible, so I'll take this as a positive step," Rice told reporters on her plane flying from Malaysia to a refueling stop in Qatar. "I think there are a lot of elements that are coming together."

Hezbollah signed on to the joint proposal "in principle" after negotiations Thursday with the caveat that more talks will be held after agreement is reached by the U.N. Security Council on an international force on the border, according to Hezbollah and Lebanese government officials. The radical Shiite Muslim movement would maintain its heavily armed militia in the south during the talks.

Rice said she is still working on many of the details for a possible plan to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. "I don't expect to present somebody with a 'Here are the five points that you must expect.' There has to be give and take," she added. "This is difficult."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/29/AR2006072900218.html?nav=rss_politics/administration