mark61
17-08-06, 17:52
De deal is: see no evil, hear no evil. Het leger gaat niet op zoek naar Hezbollah('s wapens) als Hezbollah er niet mee zwaait.
Lebanese army crosses key river
Lebanese troops have crossed the strategically important Litani river, moving into some areas of southern Lebanon for the first time in decades.
France has confirmed it is ready to head an expanded international force working alongside the Lebanese army.
But France and other UN contributors want their roles clearly defined, including any disarming of Hezbollah.
Israel, meanwhile, says it has passed control of half of its positions in the south to the current UN force there.
Dozens of Lebanese army trucks, armoured personnel carriers and jeeps crossed the Litani using temporary bridges set up to bypass bridges damaged by Israeli shelling.
The vanguard crossed at 0600 local time (0300 GMT), to be greeted by residents cheering and waving.
About 2,000 Lebanese troops are in the initial deployment, which will rise to the 15,000-strong force approved on Wednesday by the Lebanese cabinet, which includes two Hezbollah members.
Disarmament dilemma
Senior Hezbollah and other Lebanese figures have made it clear there is no question of the army disarming Hezbollah fighters.
Italy's foreign minister also said Italian troops, preparing to join the international force, were not expecting to be involved in disarming the group.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has said that no weapons will be allowed outside the authority of the Lebanese state.
But the BBC's Jon Leyne says there seems to be a tacit agreement for the fighters to hide their weapons and go underground.
The disarmament question is sure to be high on the agenda of a UN troop contributors' meeting to be held in New York later on Thursday.
Handover
As the Israeli pullout continues, an Israeli military spokeswoman said the town of Marjayoun and its surrounding area were now in the hands of troops from Unifil, the 2,000-strong existing UN force.
UN PEACEKEEPING FORCE
Leader: France
Likely contributors: Italy, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia
Other possible contributors: Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Finland, Brunei, Germany, Portugal, Pakistan
Current Unifil force: 2,000 troops from China, France, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Poland and Ukraine
The spokeswoman said the handover would continue gradually but it was too early to say how soon Israeli troops would be able to pull out of Lebanon entirely.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said: "If it takes time until the international forces are organised, it takes time until Israel withdraws. This is the equation."
French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie has confirmed that France is ready to lead an expanded UN force in Lebanon but only with a clear mandate and sufficient resources.
France's Le Monde newspaper said on Thursday that Ms Alliot-Marie was planning to send only a small, symbolic French force and that UN officials were trying to persuade her to send a far greater contingent.
The expanded UN force's commander, Gen Alain Pellegrini, said he expected the first elements to start arriving early next week.
"This Unifil will be very different from the previous one. The old Unifil is dead," he told AFP news agency.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4800949.stm?ls
Lebanese army crosses key river
Lebanese troops have crossed the strategically important Litani river, moving into some areas of southern Lebanon for the first time in decades.
France has confirmed it is ready to head an expanded international force working alongside the Lebanese army.
But France and other UN contributors want their roles clearly defined, including any disarming of Hezbollah.
Israel, meanwhile, says it has passed control of half of its positions in the south to the current UN force there.
Dozens of Lebanese army trucks, armoured personnel carriers and jeeps crossed the Litani using temporary bridges set up to bypass bridges damaged by Israeli shelling.
The vanguard crossed at 0600 local time (0300 GMT), to be greeted by residents cheering and waving.
About 2,000 Lebanese troops are in the initial deployment, which will rise to the 15,000-strong force approved on Wednesday by the Lebanese cabinet, which includes two Hezbollah members.
Disarmament dilemma
Senior Hezbollah and other Lebanese figures have made it clear there is no question of the army disarming Hezbollah fighters.
Italy's foreign minister also said Italian troops, preparing to join the international force, were not expecting to be involved in disarming the group.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has said that no weapons will be allowed outside the authority of the Lebanese state.
But the BBC's Jon Leyne says there seems to be a tacit agreement for the fighters to hide their weapons and go underground.
The disarmament question is sure to be high on the agenda of a UN troop contributors' meeting to be held in New York later on Thursday.
Handover
As the Israeli pullout continues, an Israeli military spokeswoman said the town of Marjayoun and its surrounding area were now in the hands of troops from Unifil, the 2,000-strong existing UN force.
UN PEACEKEEPING FORCE
Leader: France
Likely contributors: Italy, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia
Other possible contributors: Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Finland, Brunei, Germany, Portugal, Pakistan
Current Unifil force: 2,000 troops from China, France, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Poland and Ukraine
The spokeswoman said the handover would continue gradually but it was too early to say how soon Israeli troops would be able to pull out of Lebanon entirely.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said: "If it takes time until the international forces are organised, it takes time until Israel withdraws. This is the equation."
French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie has confirmed that France is ready to lead an expanded UN force in Lebanon but only with a clear mandate and sufficient resources.
France's Le Monde newspaper said on Thursday that Ms Alliot-Marie was planning to send only a small, symbolic French force and that UN officials were trying to persuade her to send a far greater contingent.
The expanded UN force's commander, Gen Alain Pellegrini, said he expected the first elements to start arriving early next week.
"This Unifil will be very different from the previous one. The old Unifil is dead," he told AFP news agency.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4800949.stm?ls