Understanding Need for Lasting Peace, U.S., France Agree on Draft Resolution

The U.S. and France agreed Saturday on a draft Security Council resolution that calls for an end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, but would allow Israel to defend itself if attacked, officials said. John Bolton and French President Jacques Chirac's office confirmed that agreement had been reached.

The full 15-nation Security Council was expected to meet later Saturday to discuss the resolution, and it was likely to be adopted in the next couple of days, Bolton said. The other members of the Security Council will see the draft shortly as France will reportedly circulate it this afternoon.

An official with knowledge of the document said the draft calls for a "full cessation of violence" between Israel and Hezbollah, but would allow Israel the right to launch strikes if Hezbollah attacks it. "It does not say immediate cessation of violence," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the draft had not yet been made public.

That appeared to be a major victory for the U.S. and Israel. France and many other nations had demanded an immediate halt to the fighting without conditions as a way to push the region back toward stability. The French presidential palace in Paris said a deal was reached on a resolution that seeks a total halt to hostilities and would work toward a permanent cease-fire and a long-term solution.

Bolton said the resolution would be the first of two. He said this one deals with the immediate issue of the fighting. The second would likely spell out a larger political framework for peace between Israel and Hezbollah.

"We're prepared to continue to work tomorrow in order to make progress on the adoption of the resolution but we have reached agreement and we're now ready to proceed," Bolton said. "We're prepared to move as quickly as other members of the council want to move."

Comments

[Bill Faith]

Linked from Old War Dogs >> "This wouldn't have happened without Bush & Bolton" (Udated, bumped)

"Folks, the more I learn about it the more it sounds like Isreal just got Muniched. If, IF, some multinational entity other than the disUnited Nations is willing to station enough troops in Lebanon to really and truly cut off arms shipments to Hezbollah it might work. Otherwise ... "

[Steve Schippert]

Assuming the full text follows the bits released without surprise, Israel should ignore the UN, France and the US and continue doing the work no one else in the world is willing to do.

Otherwise, Hizballah is about to be saved by the bell.

Hizballah is not, repeat NOT going to disarm willingly, Sheeba Farms give-back or none.

Who is going to fight them? France??? What would they do, throw the reams of official UN Resolutions at them?

Get real or just get out of the way.

[Charles_in_Texas]

Who says either Israel, or Hizbollah will accept anytime soon? I don't think they will. Besides, it will take another week of U.N. blather to get any resolution passed and at least 4 to 6 weeks to be implemented.

[chrisse]

Relax everyone, the Lebanese government has rejected it.

Go Israel! Take your gloves off and finish the job.

I wish this conflict was looked at in its entirety, not just picking bits out of context to push a point.

What I don't understand is how the UN can allow the Arabs who have repeatedly rejected their resolutions at the time they were made, gone on to fight Israel, then allow the Arab losers to claim those resolutions after they've lost.

The UN is rewarding rejecting aggressors. This is no way to promote peace.

[Mike's America]

Let's just say we've all seen this movie before and the ending is always the same.

Lots of self-congratulatory backslapping at the UN and no implementation.

I'd like to say things would be different this time, but more a hope than anything else.

[g]

Ridiculuous, wat ever happened to mandate 1559. The hizb will never learn. I hope israel rejects it