Hizbullah backs Siniora's plan

The big news Friday is a reported "breakthrough" for Fouad Siniora who has reportedly convinced Hizbullah of backing the 7-point plan that he presented in Rome.

Speaking to reporters after the cabinet session late last night, an elated Siniora said the cabinet voted unanimously on the plan, which goes something like this:

In a speech to an international meeting on the Lebanon crisis in Rome earlier this week, Siniora laid out a plan for a ceasefire that demanded an exchange of prisoners between Lebanon and Israel and a pacification of their common border.

But even more crucially, the plan foresaw the Lebanese government exercising full sovereignty over its southern regions and the UN Security Council making an engagement to put the contested Shebaa farms area under United Nations jurisdiction.

The plan also included an expanded UN role to reactivate the 1949 armistice agreement with Israel. Hizbullah, which some "Western diplomats" are saying is finally "showing some flexibility",  is now on the record agreeing to all this.

Hizbullah initially rejected the plan, dismissing Siniora's ideas as personal views. But a meeting between Nabih Berri—who is increasingly playing a pivotal role as a go-between between Hizbullah and the government, and the rest of the world— miraculously transformed Hizbullah's rejection into an acceptance. 

The decision of the council of ministers is a surprise and one of the most important decisions taken for years," said the daily An-Nahar. "The government succeeded to address the international community with a single voice."

MP Boutros Harb ("March 14") is hopeful:

"This is a positive development because it reinforces the credibility of the Siniora government towards the international community," said MP Boutros Harb, who belongs to Siniora's  anti-Syrian parliamentary majority.

"The decisions of the government have been taken after a profound dialogue and we hope that Hezbollah will respect them," he added.

Will Hizbullah respect the decisions? They will "consider all suggestions" as long as a ceasefire is involved.

But Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said that the Shiite  militant group, which has long controlled much of southern Lebanon  and refuses to give up its arms, was ready to consider all  suggestions but only after a ceasefire was agreed.

Hezbollah "is ready to study the question of the deployment of an international force on the condition that it respects Lebanese sovereignty. Thus all of us together are taking the same position within the government," said "For the moment neither the composition of this force, its mission or the framework of its deployment are clear. Let's wait for what the international community will propose to us."   

"Nobody in Lebanon is opposed to Lebanese sovereignty being extended over all its territory."   

Hizbullah also said that they are supporting the Siniora governent to “reinforce national unity". It's a shame they didn't care about this unity before they kidnapped the soldiers, but let's focus on the present situation.

Most important is what Siniora reportedly told Hizbullah, and what maybe got them to agree to back his plan:

According to An-Nahar, Siniora told Hezbollah that Lebanon has to "keep two irons in the fire, that of military resistance to (Israeli) aggression but also put forward plans as the forthcoming diplomatic battle will be hard."   

"If we do nothing and play the waiting game we risk the UN  Security Council imposing conditions that are not in our favour," he said, according to the paper.

Siniora with this has probably accepted that Lebanon, at this point, should not give up the military resistance as long as the Israeli attack persists. One could conclude, and I'm speculating here, that he is using Hizbullah's resistance as leverage for Lebanon in the upcoming diplomatic battle, given that Israel and the US do not want an unconditional ceasefire.

Despite his perceived failure in chastising Hizbullah, which has incurred the wrath of many Lebanese, Siniora is proceeding down the path that he sees will spare Lebanon an internal conflict and maybe earn the country a long lasting solution to the conflict, a solution that would, eventually, lead to Hizbullah's weapons becoming redundant. That has been his strategy from the beginning, one that didn't work in peace, but in war, things tend to move forward at a faster, albeit tragic, pace.

It may not be clear to all, but what Siniora is doing, despite the uncertainty surrounding his plan and Hizbullah's commitment, is create conditions for a ceasefire. This is probably a European request: get your house in order and we will work on convincing the US to call for a ceasefire. Blair, who is probably now closer to the EU views than the US, is already in Washington working towards that end.

Say what you want about him, but Siniora is our only hope.

Update. Bush and Blair have agreed to support a UN ceasefire resolution and multinational forces to "stabilize southern Lebanon."

Bush said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would travel to the region Saturday, and that "her instructions are to work with Israel and Lebanon to come up with an acceptable U.N. Security Council resolution that we can table next week."

Their plan could be taken up by the U.N. as early as Monday, the leaders said.

... Bush said, "An effective multinational force will help speed delivery of humanitarian relief, facilitate the return of displaced persons [This part was a condition by Nabih Berri], and support the Lebanese government as it asserts full sovereignty over its territory and guards its borders."

Bush said he planned to appeal to the United Nations "for a Chapter 7 resolution setting out a clear framework for cessation of hostilities on an urgent basis, and mandating the multinational force."

With Hizbullah apparently on board and the Lebanese cabinet officially in charge now (see above), it is hoped that a ceasefire is indeed reached early next week.

Let's all hope.

Update 2. Has Hizbullah agreed to disarm? That's what Elaph (Arabic) is now claiming. Hizbullah was reportedly concerned about a UN resolution under chapter 7 that would disarm it by force if necessary. Nabih Berri, Elaph claims, knew about Siniora's plan and agreed to it before the Rome trip, leaving Hizbullah without a political cover in the country.  Elaph said Hizbullah chose the lesser of two evils and went with the Siniora plan, which would lead to its peaceful disarmament.

I wonder if Nasrallah's reported visit to Damascus had anything to do with this. If all this is true, then Hizbullah is finished as a military power. But the Assad regime and Iran are still there.

Comments

[Kifaya]

Blair, who is probbaly now closer to the EU views than the US, is already in Washington working towards that end.

Another miscalculation. You must have wrote this before the Bush/Blaire presser a while ago. Blair said a multi-national force will go in only if Hizbollah can appreciate (agree) with the frame work, otherwise they will need to be dismantled by force.

[R]

fingers crossed abu kais

[Bad Vilbel]

I am not sure what to make of this. It seems encouraging at face value, but I can't imagine Syria and Iran will let this plan go through without trying to sabotage it somehow.

[Asiason]

I don't either Bad.

I see this as Hezbullah having been unprepared for the Israeli response and the offensive of the last two weeks having knocked quite a bit of breathe out of them.

This agreement I believe is a facade to buy time to rest up, re-arm and re-stock more rockets and weapons to engage the IDF.

I can only imagine foreign fighters are already loading up by the truck and bus-loads heading to Southern Lebanon looking for martyrdom. Cease-fire or not these wannabe martyers are gonna try and make something of themselves since their almight Al-Qaeda masters have urged them on.

But if Hezbollah really is winded and now trying to buy time, then I would hope the IDF instead of slowing down would push harder and crush the key villages now of resistance before they let those guys get out of there and be cheered as heroes for the HA cause and survivors of the Almighty Zionist siege. heh.

[Oceanguy]

Lebanon's only hope in the long term is the destruction of Hizbollah. Looking for ways to let Hizbollah save face and thus giving them a "victory" is counter-productive to a long term peace for the region.

If Hizbollah is allowed to have that victory, then Lebanon will be set back to 1983. If the Cedar Revolution is to succeed, if it's peace and prosperity under a liberal democracy that Lebanon wants, then they must confront and help destroy Hizbollah as a political and military force. Anything less will only give you a short reprieve to be followed by deeper disappointment the next time around.

If Sinoria is your hope he ought to be asking for US and NATO help in backing a Lebanese fight against Hizbollah, allied with Israel... not playing patty-cake with the terrorists who have caused, and will continue to cause, much heart break and destruction. Appeasement doesn't work.

[Miss Lebanon]

Oceanguy--

You're just a bit too naive and obviously fail to understand Lebanese politics.

[kevin peters]

Israel doesn't seem inclined to go far enough into Lebanon with ground forces to wipe out Hezbollah and I don't think they can do it from the air only so this solution seems to be the only way out. And I think Hezbollah will go along for a month or two. Siniora is doing the best he can in an impossible situation.

Having said this I just can't shake the notion that Hezbollah has no intention of becoming a full partner in a Democratic, pluralistic, Lebanon and is simply cooling it's heels until it can build up it's forces to start the whole destabilization war up against both Israel and a secular Lebanon government. I don't know what will happen first, a rocket launch into Israel or an assasination of Siniora, or something completely different but I can't see this as the beginning of Peace, just a change of tactics in the war. Yet there doesn't seem to be any other answer at the moment so let's open the Champagne bottles and enjoy it before the bottles are simply broken later on. Sigh.

[Caveman]

Excellent development, but the spoiler here is not really Hizbullah, but the IDF. Final say belongs to them, whether you accept their tentative war plans as true or not. The IDF is not trying to win friends; they are trying to eliminate Hizbullah's military threat. Under the current circumstances, even in light of this new development, I remain pessimistic that the IDF will accept a ceasefire for "study time." Hizbullah will probably have to decide their course of action on the fly. We shall see.

[Bad Vilbel]

Kevin Peters,

Excellent points, both.

I think you're correct on both counts:

1. This solution is the only way out for all parties involved.

2. I worry about Hezbollah's long term intentions. The trick here, is to make sure they get no chance in the future by IMMEDIATELY empowering the Lebanese state as soon as this crisis is over. Hezbollah needs to put marginalized, and the state needs to be made so strong as to not fall prey to any future unstabilizing elements. This is where the Saudis, the US and everyone else in the west have a big role to play. You can't wrap up this round of fighting and then leave us to fend for ourselves again. You've got to step in, make the Lebanese state and army strong and unified and well armed. I'd like to see Lebanon turned into another Jordan ASAP. (I don't mean a monarchy, i mean in terms of stability).

[Bad Vilbel]

Right on cue. The following headline at Naharnet:
"The US will disburse $10 million for the Lebanese army so that it can move into southern Lebanon, the State Department says"

No details yet. But this is exactly what I would expect to see more of ASAP.

[Charlie]

This is good news if HA is truly ready to be more pragmatic, Lebanese and less of an Iranian-Syrian instrument. But if I am to take HA’s performance during the so called "National Dialogue", I am more inclined to think they are just trying to buy time.

Israel aside, Lebanon will not be able to come together as a nation as long as there are independently operating armed factions. Today HA is the group playing that role, they have placed Lebanon at large under siege, this siege will only end when HA is unarmed.

So I am hoping to see in this grand deal that is being talked about, HA giving up the "resistance" role along with its arms.

[Tony]

The question is not whether Syria might try to assassinate Seniora, but rather if it will try to assassinate Berri.

[Amir from Tel Aviv]

So now according to the plan
Israel is to give prisoners
*AND* Shab'a farms?

Lets wait for the security
council and not waste time
on delusional 'plans'.
.

[fubar]

R - good catch last night/this morning.

Now that everyone has had some time to indulge in their favorite adult beverage, it is time to recognize that what we are celebrating is only the first step, a major step to be sure, but this is far from over. This is an admission by HA that they cannot go it alone, if they are to survive in any form (political), they must bend to the interests of one Lebanon.

But that is not the same as surrendering to Siniora’s vision or will. HA still controls when the war ends, and they can still choose to fight to the last man. I also think it is important to remember that the negotiations are not over. Siniora has a 7 point plan, but be prepared for some compromise here. We live in reality, not utopia. No one gets everything they want.

Perhaps we could all use a reminder that the strong always seek to prey upon the weak:
Abdallah Isaaq Deerow, the minister for constitutional and federal affairs in Somalia’s virtually powerless government was assassinated today as he walked out of a mosque, enraging hundreds of Somalis who rioted in the streets screaming, “We want a government that can restore law and order!”
It was the second shooting of a politician this week and the latest blow to an administration that has watched helplessly as Islamic militants with links to al Qaida, the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), took control of the capital and much of southern Somalia.

Lebanon is not the only weak country fighting for its survival. While the world watches Lebanon on TV, Somalia receives little attention. Yet the people of Somalia stand up and demand better.

When will the Lebanese people stand up and demand better than Hezbollah? Siniora is trying and he deserves a lot of credit, but it will all be for naught unless the people get behind him.

Finally, if nothing else, to survive, Lebanon must be resolved to become strong in a national identity, not a religious one, and to build a strong military. The Lebanese Army must become a fighting force. Even without an official armed militia, HA is not going to go away. The Army will have to keep them in check if they act up again. And Syria is always going to be next door looking for a way to get back in. If Lebanon wants true sovereignty, it is going to have to build a strong Army to ensure it.

Celebrate today, but keep in mind, this is not over and may not be next week. Better a lasting solution than merely a rest period for HA.

[Charlie]

Amir,

Why is Shabaa farms that dear to you??....:-)
I am surprised so many people had died for that little piece of land!!!

[Eli]

Unlikely that this is good news. What is going to happen though is that the UN resolution next week will insist on 1559. When HA will refuse to accept this, the US will play a game of brinkmanship with Syria. They will apply the same kind of pressure they applied to make Syria leave lebanon. That means that there won't be a cease fire for a long time. Either HA is disarmed or Lebanon becomes a failed state. It can go either way. The US and Israel are prepared to take the risks involved. Unfortunately, the Lebanese will pay the price.

[Asiason]

The Lebanese people need to gather en masse and demonstrate they want peace now and demand it of HA and Israel. A gathering so large it shows the world you now have fire and guts to demand what you want from the thugs and jihadists who launched you unknowingly into this war.

Picture yourself as a HA militant, he loves his rifle, uniform and colors and pictures himself as a hero of the people. To him glory is jumping into a bus load of Israeli civilians and blasting himself and them into kingdom come. Good luck trying to disarm him.

People, did you think overnight HA just lost its will to fight? That it now wants to surrender the winning ACE card that won it all the power and prestige to start playing nice and be legit? Do you think people in power for so long ever surrender it? Do you surrender the day you fire the longest distance missle ever into Israel?

If they are surrendering its because they are beat.. after 2 weeks fighting? I think not.

HA is buying time to resupply and recover after the surprise counter-attack by Israel.

Give them enough time they will import and infiltrate enough human walking bombs into Israel to kill innocents in numbers never heard of.

There is no alternative then to crush them now or so completely they have nothing back to shoot with.

If the HA really wanted to surrender they would release the prisoners in good faith and then make the IDF look like the aggressors at the same time if they tarry in Lebanon one second longer.

But they won't release those because they want the moral victory, they want the IDF to surrender hundreds or thousands of prisoners for their two and make it retreat with a "promise" to disarm.

If you believe in this bullcrap.

Get ready to just smack yourself over the head when this comes apart.

[someone]

Lebanese government is not against the rockets attack .This means that Lebanon is in war with "israel" and wants global solutions, and the solution like "disarming a milishia" is not the goal of this government.Lebanon has not a problem of sovereignity ,but a problem of independance.Telling Lebanon where to put his army,and who to attack ,and give it orders ,and at the same time attacking the bases of its army ,and infrastructures,killing civilians, is not helping the country.

To help Lebanon, then ask Lebaneses and their governments what THEY want , and then apply it ,dont tell them what YOU want them to be ,to assure security to others.

The milishia exists because ,the rights of Lebanon has not been achieved,so Lebanon will not give up this milishia until their assure their right have been given to them.So dont hope for Lebaneses to disarm the mlishia ,the only hope to put pressure on their enemies to give them their rights,they will not disarm it before cease-fire,and a deep discussion of the problems and causes of the conflict.

Your plans , are not to solve the problem from its roots .The american plan,is to put a barriere in south Lebanon , to assure security for "israel", and no one cares about lebaneses rights ,just give them orders to not express themselves, but not disturb "israel" anymore ,but Lebanon will have its arm "the milishia" because he still be alive , and wants its rights .

[Asiason]

Lebanon proved it could demonstrate and win its will in peaceful protest when it thrusted the Syrians out.

Why now does it think militias are the only way to protect its independence?

Get real... the Lebanese need to come out in force to voice what they do want and that is what I do agree.

But right now for the most part everyone is so busy sheltering, waiting and hoarding they forgot to stand up and fight.

If you don't want the UN or US or anyone to be at your border then come out en masse and declare it so.

Your politicians are there for you to echo what you want.. don't let them instead lead you blindly because you are not letting them know what your desires are.

The fight for freedom or independence is not a passive act. It is an active one but it also can be a peaceful one.

If you march thousands of peace loving Lebanese towards the israeli or HA forces and with arms locked and demand they leave... do you know how much power that is?

If they fire on you.. they are damned forever more.

If they refuse you then their own agendas are now made clear and they look the selfish fools serving masters with their own destinies that are part and separate from a nationalistic Lebanon or from a peace loving Israel.

The Power of the People is absent in Lebanon, and in that vacuum ... men with guns. militias UN, Syria, Iran and the IDF are now dictating what you can or cannot do.

If you want freedom you need to forfeit what you hold most precious... your life. You give your life to them and you tell your enemy that they can shoot you and kill you now but behind you are a hundred thousand more men, women and children and that each and everyone of you will give your lives to them if they will stop now and leave you in peace.

Do this, even the troops or HA will begin to fight amongst themselves because they will begin to realise their cause is no longer just and that their foes are not soldiers or terrorists but this time its civillians whom have come on bended to knee to ask for peace and to stop the fighting.

Once upon a time a man named Gandhi did it, and not everything out of date is no longer applicable.

Do you all perceive that the HA or IDF will decimate a crowd of peaceful protestors?

That very act will destroy their cause in the eyes of the world and bring down the withering hammers of justice from a world that will ally itself to bring avenging wraith on the fool whom dared.

Israel would lose its military aid from the US and Europe and become isolated and alone.

The HA, its not even a nuclear power... UN and NATO troops would be scrambling amongst themselves to kill and avenge peace-loving Lebanese.. itself probrablly suffering severe desertions if it did kill peaceful protestors.

March on them guys.. or show your voice.. for now the bombs and rockets have drowned you out and whatever your heart cries for it cannot be heard until you rage it forth. Cry it out so loud so that even the halls of the White House and that of the People's Palace in Syria echo with your voices.

Its this way or live your life with heads bowed and dictated to by others whom think you as nothing more then pawns in their proxy war.

[Ghassan Karam]

Oh how much I yearn for a solution to the current round of violence, death and destruction between Israel and HA/Lebanon. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I try to think of the Siniora plan as representing a meaningful and workable solution to the crisis, I am still in the camp that Mr. Siniora has not gone far enough.

(1)There is no doubt that the plan in question is an improvement on the previous empty rhetoric but I am afraid that the plan does not go far enough. It is not enough to protect the lebanon-Israel-border through a buffer de-militarised zone and the deployment of a multinational force. The above, if effective, will prevent a repeat of the cross border incidents and that is good. But there is no mention of what is to become of the HA cache or armament. Is HA going to be allowed to move its theater of opperations to other araes of Lebanon? If the arms are not to be handed over to the government then Lebanese sovereignty will continue to be a mirage.

(2)If we are in agreement that it was the amateurish adventurism of HA that was essentially the spark that stared the current crisis then what is to be gained from refraining from admiting that the goal of the Lebanese government is to take measures that will prevet HA from miscalculating again. To present the Lebanese military resistance; read HA activities; as a bargaining chip for a cease fire is both disingenous and smacks of appeasemnt.

Let me be clear about the major reason for my disagreement with the Siniora plan. It would be false to characterize my disagreemnt with the proposed plan as tactical. I wish it was so. The differences that lead to my position are fundamental principals. I am afraid that unless the Lebanese government spells out clearly the need to disarm HA and all other groups on the Lebanese soil the it would be only a matter of time before we revisit the fatal results of such a miscalculation.

BTW, I found it amusing that An Nahar thought that it was a historic occassion for the government to speak in one voice. I guess the An Nahar need to be reminded that the purpose of a government IS to speak in one voice ., that is the norm in most countries. The Lebanese government has failed to speak in unison because of the incongruity of its composition. Unless that flaw is dealt with the incongruity will prevent the Lebanese cabinet from speaking in one voice and from reaching for the democratic republican ideal that it aspires for.

[JW on the road]

Nasrallah is just buying time by bowing to the govmnt.

At the first opp he'll go after Milquetoast Siniora and the frigging UN. Who do you think will lose, again, then?

[someone]

"Why now does it think militias are the only way to protect its independence?"

The politic indepenendance is more important than land independance.

Lebanon doenst have nuclear weapons ,doent have a real army,no one will listen to them then,american VETOs are waiting to say no to their voices.

Even Syria will not get back "Golan" by negotiations ,and neither with its army , no one will listen to Syrians in UN then,when american VETOs are waiting for them.

Now Lebaneses and Syrians will march in peace through borders ,to expresss themselves ? they will be shooted because they crossed borders ,without permissions.

The militia is a tool for pressure nothing else,used to let the world listen to their voices ,so now UN must listen to these voices before urging them to throw the tool of pressure they actually use ,dont put VETOs to stop their voices in UN,because a such VETO is state terrorism.

Siniora plan , is first of all, cease fire , how come you want a solution udner fire ?
Cease-fire,let the refugees go back to their homes ,and help the civilians who are injured and who are dead under their houses ,exchange those two soldiers ,then after that ,where to put lebanese army, if the state needs international forces is a lebanese question, no one is allowed to put pressure or tell the lebanese governemtnwhat to do,because by doing so you are breaking the lebanese independance.Lebanese civilians will urge their government to put the army in the south and noone else is allowed to urge it.

[Andrea Baucero]

Wake up Abu Kais, the Seniora plan doesn't include disarming Hezbollah, it just has a series of steps that Israel must do, like stopping military activities, giving Sheba Farms to the UN, swapping prisoners. And what's Lebanon to do in the meantime? What does Lebanon have to offer, in order to be granted all these concessions? Nothing, it will not accept an international military presence on the border, it will not disarm Hezbollah, it will not take control of the border. These are the points Hezbollah will never accept. So how do you think that Israel is going to accept this plan, when it only contains requests, and not a single offer? This looks more like a request for capitulation, but capitulation usually comes after military defeat, and it does not look like Hezbollah is defeating Israel. So the situation is in a stalemate, unless you come up with a real will for peace and disarm of Hezbollah, this hell will go on and on.

[someone]

"So how do you think that Israel is going to accept this plan, when it only contains requests, and not a single offer? This looks more like a request for capitulation"

Why you call this capitulation? Lebanon wants its rights and independance,it wants :

1.Cease fire :because there is no need for war now ,it is time for negotiations.
2.Exchange the prisoners: This is also the right of Lebanon ,to get back lebaneses citizens who are prisoners of war.
3. Chabaa farms back to Lebanon, this is also a lebanese right,with a UN resolution.

Now:

4.Disarming the milishias is a lebanese internal affair, and this cant be achived in 1 day ,because of political complications inside Lebanon,this is purely lebanese affair that has to do with its indepandance.

5.International forces in the south: This depend on lebanese decision, only lebaneses and their government can decide wether they need such forces or not, and no one else, this has to do with lebanese indepandance as an independant country.

6.Lebanese army in the south: This is also a purely lebanese matter, no one but lebanese government ,is allowed to give orders to this army where to move or what to do,this has to do with lebanese independance and self control.

[fubar]

Ghassan Karam says, “I am afraid that unless the Lebanese government spells out clearly the need to disarm HA and all other groups on the Lebanese soil the it would be only a matter of time before we revisit the fatal results of such a miscalculation.”

Yes, disarmament of HA is essential. But this process is just really beginning. We are nowhere near the end.

Asiason says - “Get ready to just smack yourself over the head when this comes apart.”

Well, that is definitely still a possibility. The Lebanese can smack themselves. The rest of the world will just shake their heads and move on. Lebanon is but one place in a world teaming with tension and hot spots. Better to work with people who want to help themselves than with people who want someone else to solve their problems and are unwilling to act.

Meanwhile.... Nasrallah just cannot keep his mouth shut. “In the ground war, we will have the upper hand. In the ground war, the criterion is our attrition of the enemy, rather than what territory does or does not remain in our hands, because we are not fighting with the method of a regular army. We will definitely regain any land occupied by the enemy, after inflicting great losses upon it.”

Yep, even Nasrallah agrees, HA is not an army which operates within international rules. No, HA is a terrorist organization which acts for its own benefit (or Iran’s). They live to kill Israelis. They do not care how many Lebanese suffer or how many HA die in the fight. At least he understands the rule of attrition. The goal of the IDF must be to keep the supply lines to HA closed while the IDF continues to pound away at the HA.

As night falls in Lebanon, time for the IDF to go to work again.

[JW on the road]

2 daily Israeli bombs on Syria would be cheaper, cleaner, and more productive for all concerned.

[fubar]

Who is the enemy...

Reported today by Aljazeera.Net:

The US plans to sell arms worth $4.6 billion to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman.

The announcement came two weeks after the US said it would sell Israel its latest supply of JP-8 aviation fuel valued at up to $210 million to help Israeli warplanes "keep peace and security in the region".

In the newly proposed sale, battle tanks worth $2.9 billion will be sold to Saudi Arabia to protect their critical infrastructure.

AH-64 Apache helicopters worth $400 million would also go to Saudi Arabia.

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain would get UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, the UAE $808 million worth and Bahrain $252 million worth.

Jordan would get a potential $156 million in upgrades to 1,000 of its M113 A1 armoured personnel carriers.

Javelin anti-tank missiles worth $48million would go to Oman under the deals put forward by the Pentagon's defence security co-operation agency which administers US government-to-government arms sales.

Notices of proposed US arms sales are required by US law once they pass certain value thresholds.

They do not mean that a sale has been concluded.

Congress may block a sale if both houses pass resolutions of disapproval within 30 days of formal notification.

End article.

********

The Middle Eastern world is not preparing for a fight with Israel. They see the real threat as Iran.

Hezbollah = Syria = Iran

Time to pick a side. Where does Lebanon stand?

If Lebanon stands with the rest of the ME world, it is worth saving.

If Lebanon stands with Iran, well then... you figure it out.

[Bad Vilbel]

Asiason,

Easy for you to demand thousands of Lebanese march together and if they're shot, so be it.

Howcome the IDF is not "marching peacefully" towards Hezbollah? Howcome they choose to use force?

[Bad Vilbel]

Ghassan Karam,

All good comments. And this time we're in FULL agreement.
I think (hope) that the plan as it is will not fly with Israel or Condi Rice anyway. Nothing short of HA accepting full disarmament should be acceptable. Not only to the Israelis, but to the Lebanese too.

Sadly, the Lebanese politicians (as always) are too timid. Aside from Walid Jumblatt, they're way too tentative and afraid to step up to the plate and tell it like it is. I never really liked that about our political system and our politicians. Always too much rethoric and very little substance.

[GK]

Suppose HA is disarmed. What is gonna be their(HA) next step?
Suicide bombings? How Lebaneese society is going to deal with it?

[Shay]

I sincerely hope we'll see this come to an end soon. Both Lubnan and Israel could rest at ease with a military-force monopoly of Lebanese govt.

Bad Vibel

IF marching for peace and be shot for it and the other choice being cowering and sheltering risking death from above or from actions of others whom beliefs are not your own...

Which would you choose.

One gives you a chance, the other is has none.

Its with or without your boots on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGgwfSitO4E

See who are risking the lives of innocent here for their own agenda and you tell me.

[nick woolf]

The reason the US MIGHT be amenable to doing their bit for peace is the growing realisation that this whole episode is becoming an unmitigated disaster for the West and the "war on terror" brigade. It completely undermines Blair and Bush's so-called vision for the Middle East, in which there are nice peaceful moderate democratic guys who bear love for all and wouldn't hurt a fly [ that's us ], and the nasty extremists, who hate everything and only want to destroy us and our whole way of life [ that's them ]. Where does Israel stand in this duality - part of the nice peaceful moderate democratic guys who bear love for all and wouldn't hurt a fly ?? As if.

The US's role is simple - at the relevant time, to strongarm Israel kicking and screaming into an internationally agreed peace plan. No more, no less.

The plan is already emerging, around the 7 points put forward by the Lebanese Government. But the key twist has to be that it is not an International UN Force that goes into South Lebanon. Instead, the Lebanese Government has to be empowered [ supported by the UN through a friendly neutral power[s] ] to take full control of the country.

It's a bit like the role Syria played in stopping the civil war, and getting Lebanon back to something like a viable state. [ Unfortunately, they outstayed their welcome ]. This time, it seems like France is the power that is willing to step up to the plate.

Britain's role is a] to keep putting private pressure on Bush to allow an international solution based on the sovereigny of Lebanon and b] to shut up and cease supplying arms to either side.