How do you maintain a "cease-fire" with 30,000 Israelis still in Lebanon?

[kentuck]

Just curious? If there is to be a serious cease-fire, shouldn't the Israelis withdraw from the country? Or is this just a silly question?

[iamjoy]

1. Not A Withdrawal

they are laying down their weapons, but not pulling out.

We're sticking around, but not shooting anyone.

This is not a truce or treaty. I such negotiations fall through and the cease fire ends, Israel will not have to remobilize its troops.

I'm worried some thing going to happen (a gun accidentally fired, a rock thrown, etc) some one's going to spook and the fighting will start again

[Ian David]

3. 7-10 days for the U.N. to stand-up so the Israelis can stand-down

But that's still two years after UN Resolution 1559 passed on 9/2/04.

Israel to UN: "You never call, you never write... we only hear from you when we bomb people. What are we? Chopped liver?"

[Fredda Weinberg]

5. That's already happened - the ceasefire's still holding n/t

[Ian David]

2. They'll stand-down when the U.N. stands up?

As long as they're not shooting at people, it's really just a big camping trip.

In fact, throw-in some Klezmer bands, and it's Woodstock in Lebanon for 30,000 Israelis with guns.

The U.N. says they can be there in 7-10 days.

Which raises the question, "Why didn't The United Nations do this on September 2, 2004 when they passed UN Resolution 1559?"

That would have saved a lot of bloodshed, violence and destruction.

In any case, I hope the ceasefire holds.

I also think it would be a good idea if those 30,000 Israeli troops started handing out humanitarian aide and supplies, and rendering assistance to the Lebanese civilians.

[endarkenment]

8. I actually doubt that the refugee residents of southern lebanon

are interested in receiving anything from the IDF. Israel should get out of Lebanon.

[Vidar]

4. Shhhhh.

[tjwash]

6. The same way you...

...withdraw from Iraq with 14 permanent U.S. military bases in the country.

[Beelzebud]

7. The answer is simple: You don't.

[zbdent]

9. What I find interesting is that the Israelis shot and killed (1 or 2)

on the opposite side because they "looked threatening" ... after the "Cease Fire" was in place ... I heard a local "music station" RW a-hole mentioning it this morning ... I hadn't heard the details, but he was inferring that it was Hezbollah. When I heard later that the "Cease Fire was holding", they just mentioned a "blip" ... funny, I thought a "cease fire" was when you stopped shooting.

All the time, I hear that the "Cease Fire" is working ... but, if someone kills someone else, when did the firing cease? I guess that it only applies when the Israelis are the ones who shoot ... they're still "honoring the cease fire" ... and getting away with it.