[Washington Post] Scott Wilson - Israel lifted its eight-week-long air blockade of Lebanon on Thursday, but maintained its sea cordon after determining that not enough international forces had taken up positions along the coast to enforce an arms embargo against the Shiite Muslim militia Hizballah. Israeli officials said German and Lebanese troops had taken up posts in the airport's passenger and cargo terminals to prevent arms from reaching Hizballah. Mark Regev, the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, said that Israel hoped to stop its sea patrols but that the timing depended on how quickly the international forces deployed. "The internationals are taking longer, unfortunately, to enforce the sea blockade," Regev said. "When they are ready to do so, we will be ready to leave. The timing depends on them."
2006-09-08 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive