Mideast talks fail to reach cease-fire agreement
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Talks between key Middle East players in Rome on a plan for ending the 15-day-old conflict in Lebanon Wednesday failed to reach agreement on an immediate cease-fire.
Officials called a halt to the conflict, but U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said any cease-fire must be "sustainable."
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan reiterated calls for the deployment of an international peacekeeping force, but there was no consensus on its creation.
Leaders made agreements on humanitarian aid and reconstruction, but the discussions faltered as the United States resisted demands for an immediate cease-fire, insisting that a cessation of hostilities must involve the permanent disarming of Lebanese Hezbollah militants.
Tensions were raised during the discussions by the deaths Tuesday of four U.N. military observers in an Israeli attack on a U.N. outpost.
The incident, claimed as a mistake by Israel, has been condemned by the international community, with Annan describing it as "apparently deliberate."
Participants agreed to continue discussions, but CNN's John King said there was a sense among European and Arab leaders that the United States was buying time for Israel in its offensive against Hezbollah.
One source involved in the talks said everyone but the United States wanted to press ahead with an immediate cease-fire, but Rice argued that taking that approach would leave Hezbollah in place and still armed with its rockets.
The sources said Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora made an impassioned address, talking about the promise Lebanon had 10 months ago from the international community when the people were looking toward rebirth of Lebanon following the withdrawal of Syrian troops.
A senior U.N. diplomat described the mood in the room as somber. He said everyone but the United States wanted cessation of fighting to make room for more negotiations and humanitarian aid.
"This wouldn't require much contact between parties, and you can build on this for a political dialogue, but the United States wants formal cease-fire as part of a comprehensive deal, return of soldiers, etc.," the source said.
Original article posted here.
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3 comments:
Israel and the US have slightly different interests: Israel wanted a chance to expand, take a bit of land, kill a few Arabs, destroy Hezbollah and use this as a pretext for a wider war against Iran. The US wanted Israel to kill a few Arabs, destroy Hezbollah and use this as a pretext to start a wider war against Iran.
The Neo-Con Kool Aid drinkers, three wars into it, just haven't fucking learned that people don't just roll over and let American/Israeli NaZionists come into their countries, rape their women, torture their men, and take their oil without a fight. Now Israel is stuck with it's own mini Iraq quagmire, while it was hoping for a cake-walk to vamp up for the main event: Iran.
Problem is that the US and Israel and being led by the same set of bozos taking the same language, so divorced from reality, lost in their ideological dreamscape. Both countries are truly risking ever great harm and they both increase the chances for maximum destruction.
Nobody else will step into Lebanon if the risk of getting killed is high, so Israel must go it alone. The US can't help except send some ready made bombs. What army will Israel have, and what army will the US have to bomb Iran? And what "Coalition of the Willing" is going to join them on a misadventure that will have oil prices trebling on the first day of action?
None.
The lunatics have taken over the asylum.
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