Breaking on CNN France & US agree

[malaise]

to Security Council Resolution. 3.00pm closed session of UN Security Council.

[bigtree]

1. What about Hizbollah? Syria? Neighboring states?

Iran?

[partylessinOhio]

2. Thank you, France!

:yourock:

Thank you, malaise!

[malaise]

3. Don't thank me yet

This has no meaning until the bombing stops.

[Palladin]

10. Exactly.

Israel has said No to the US concerning a ceasefire, until the captured soldiers are returned. Nobody except maybe Iran and Syria has the influence with Hezbollah to make that occur. The US, through France, is going to have to offer something to Syria and Iran to make anything happen. US Senator Chuck Hagel, a realist, has been raising this for several days now. This will be at Israel's expense: e.g., return of the Sheeba Farms and Golan Heights to Syria; the continued existence of a well-armed Hezbollah; even Israeli (read US) monetary reparations to Lebanon; cessation of Israel's assault on Hamas; and maybe even UN international force enforcement of UN Resolution 242 (Israel withdraws to pre-1967 borders).
It's going to be a good public humiliation for Bolton and the rest of the neocons. And Armageddon ain't here yet.

[watercolors]

4. Thank you my fellow French friends

I guess French Fries will be back! Made me proud today.

[partylessinOhio]

6. French fries never left most of us. Viva le France!

The French and Germans did not back *'s war based on his lies.

[BlueAlert]

7. Ugh

I don't know how you can stand to eat french fries.

[Benhurst]

5. Now if they'll just let us keep our Tour de France championship,

we can start eating French fries again.

[MrCoffee]

12. Not if L'Equipe has anything to say about it

[scarletwoman]

8. What is the text of the resolution? Every version I've heard about sounded

pretty mealy-mouthed to me.

If it's not a resolution for an immediate unconditional ceasefire, it's not worth much.

sw

[bigtree]

9. One account says the agreement will void if there's any attack

after the signing. (on either side)

[malaise]

11. Blair welcomes draft UN resolution

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/5248882.stm

[scarletwoman]

13. I finally found some info on the actual text of the resolution.

It does NOT call for an immediate ceasefire! :mad:

U.N. Council to review draft Mideast resolution

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States and France reached agreement on Saturday on a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an end to fighting between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas as the first step toward a political settlement of the conflict, France and the United States said.

The 15-member U.N. Security Council will receive the text and review it at 3 p.m. (1900 GMT), the United Nations announced. A vote is expected within the next few days.

<snip>

A communique issued by French President Jacques Chirac's office in Paris said the draft calls for a "full cessation of hostilities" and a commitment to work "on a permanent cease-fire for a long-term solution." But it does not give a time for a cessation of hostilities. France's draft resolution had called for an "immediate" end to the fighting.

<snip>

A second resolution is envisaged a week or two after the first is adopted, setting down conditions for a permanent cease-fire and authorizing an international force, which France may lead if fighting stops.

I'm sorry, but from where I stand, this resolution hardly does anything at all. It just looks like a vague, "we want you to stop fighting" kind of thing.

At least they've stopped trying to link up a ceasefire with the absurd idea of deploying some mythical international peacekeeping force.

sw