France Boycotts UN Lebanon 'Peacekeeping' Meeting
naharnet/AP
The United Nations announced that countries willing to contribute troops to help stabilize south Lebanon will meet after all. But France, which has been mentioned as a possible leader of a peacekeeping force, said it will not attend because the meeting is premature.
The meeting was scrapped Monday after France said there was no point in talking about peacekeepers with the war continuing between Israeli troops and Hizbullah and no political settlement.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan emerged from a breakfast Tuesday with the ambassadors from the five permanent members of the Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S. -- with the announcement that the troop contributors meeting would be held on Thursday.
But France still believes it is too early to talk about troops for a new force and will not attend, a spokesman for France's U.N. Mission said late Tuesday. The reason for France's opposition remains unchanged, the spokesman said.
France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said Monday that "France is in favor of setting up an international force to implement a political settlement. It is important to have this political settlement before having the force deployed. So it is premature to have such a meeting. It's a question of timing."
France wants an immediate halt to fighting between Israel and Hizbullah to pave the way for a wider peace. But the United States, Israel's closest ally, wants any cease-fire to be part of a package of simultaneous steps, including the deployment of peacekeepers. Read more
db: This deadlock is itself a US/UK 'solution' - it fully accommodates Israel's desire to plough on with the destruction of Lebanon - whilst simultaneously allowing Blair/Bush to position themselves as 'desperately' seeking a 'long-term', 'permanent', 'sustainable' ceasefire - aka 'new Middle East' - bankrolled in Lebanese blood.
The United Nations announced that countries willing to contribute troops to help stabilize south Lebanon will meet after all. But France, which has been mentioned as a possible leader of a peacekeeping force, said it will not attend because the meeting is premature.
The meeting was scrapped Monday after France said there was no point in talking about peacekeepers with the war continuing between Israeli troops and Hizbullah and no political settlement.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan emerged from a breakfast Tuesday with the ambassadors from the five permanent members of the Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S. -- with the announcement that the troop contributors meeting would be held on Thursday.
But France still believes it is too early to talk about troops for a new force and will not attend, a spokesman for France's U.N. Mission said late Tuesday. The reason for France's opposition remains unchanged, the spokesman said.
France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said Monday that "France is in favor of setting up an international force to implement a political settlement. It is important to have this political settlement before having the force deployed. So it is premature to have such a meeting. It's a question of timing."
France wants an immediate halt to fighting between Israel and Hizbullah to pave the way for a wider peace. But the United States, Israel's closest ally, wants any cease-fire to be part of a package of simultaneous steps, including the deployment of peacekeepers. Read more
db: This deadlock is itself a US/UK 'solution' - it fully accommodates Israel's desire to plough on with the destruction of Lebanon - whilst simultaneously allowing Blair/Bush to position themselves as 'desperately' seeking a 'long-term', 'permanent', 'sustainable' ceasefire - aka 'new Middle East' - bankrolled in Lebanese blood.
posted by exoplanet at 11:09 AM
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