[Washington Post] Peter Baker and Robin Wright - Deliberations at the UN over a cease-fire in Lebanon have become tangled in a dispute between the U.S. and France over the right approach. President Bush insisted that any cease-fire plan establish Lebanese control over its territory, dispatch a multinational force to create a buffer zone, and require Iran and Syria to stop backing Hizballah, which is firing rockets at Israeli territory. Yet a meeting to craft plans for the international force was postponed after France declared it pointless without a political settlement between Israel and Lebanon. The resolution drafted by the U.S. would include terms for a cease-fire, outline a set of political principles for a long-term settlement of regional tensions, and define a mandate for the international force. The force would back up the Lebanese army as it asserts authority in regions now controlled by Hizballah and block import of new weapons for the militia. All armed groups would be prohibited in the zone where the international force is deployed.
2006-08-01 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive