HEZBOLLAH BACKS DECISION TO DEPLOY LEBANESE ARMY IN SOUTH

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Last update - 00:49 08/08/2006


Hezbollah backs decision to deploy Lebanese army in south

By Yoav Stern, Aluf Benn and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents, and Agencies

Lebanon will deploy its army in the south of the country after the Israel Defense Forces' withdrawal from the area, the Lebanese cabinet agreed Monday night, in a decision supported by all the ministers present, including the five Shi'ite ministers who represent Hezbollah and Amal.

The decision marks the first time since 1982 that the Lebanese government has decided to impose its sovereignty in the south of the country.

Lebanese officials are hoping that in the wake of the night's decision, the United Nations Security Council will agree to the amended U.S.-French draft resolution that calls for the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from the country.


Political sources in Jerusalem said in response to the Lebanese cabinet decision that Israel was waiting to see how the decision fit in with the Security Council deliberations. The proposal, the sources said, was outlined in an interview Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora gave to The Washington Post on Monday.

For the purpose of the deployment, the Lebanese defense minister Monday announced the mobilization of reservists. All Lebanese soldiers who were discharged in the past five years will be called up for duty.

Reports say that the Lebanese army will call up some 15,000 reservists for deployment in the south. They will be mobilized August 10-16, in keeping with orders published in Lebanon on Monday.

The measure was announced by Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi al-Aridi, who outlined the considerations that led to the decision. Al-Aridi said that the upcoming political developments were dependent on the response of the international community to the decision.

According to the minister, in recent weeks, the heads of the Lebanese security forces have been party to government discussions and have indicated their needs ahead of the deployment in the south.

"Our objective is to bring about a cease-fire and emphasize Lebanon's right to its land and sovereignty," al-Aridi said.

He stressed that the decision was taken as part of Lebanon's efforts to demonstrate a willingness to make progress toward a resolution of the crisis and the implementation of the seven-point plan approved by the Lebanese government.

The plan calls for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the Shaba Farms area, a prisoner exchange deal and a state monopoly on the use of weapons in its territory.

Al-Aridi hinted that Lebanon was expecting positive reactions to its decision.

He also added that, following the deployment of the army in the south of the country, Hezbollah would remain in the area "as a party that represents an entire segment of the population."

Al-Aridi stressed that the organization would remain a partner to decision-making in the country and that the deployment of the army was designed "to reap the fruits of Lebanon's military achievement."

The Lebanese army called up reservists Monday ahead of a possible deployment of 15,000 troops to the south.

"This is a preparatory move ahead of a decision that may come out of the cabinet to deploy 15,000 soldiers to the south," a Lebanese political source said. A security source said: "We need to boost our numbers."

Lebanon's prime minister, choking back tears, demanded a "quick and decisive cease-fire" Monday, as he and Arab foreign ministers on Monday pressed for changes in a U.S.-French peace plan aimed at ending nearly a month of warfare between Israel and Hezbollah.

"It is imperative that the Israeli enemy stops its aggressive actions and withdraw immediately..., hand it [territory] over to international forces, exchange prisoners, and reveal land mine maps," he said.

Siniora earlier expressed a new willingness to quickly deploy Lebanese troops in the south to bring a halt in the fighting.

Siniora has backed the idea of swiftly moving in Lebanese troops, with the support of beefed-up UN forces, in order to ensure that thousands of IDF soldiers leave the south with any cease-fire, an aide to the prime minister said.

A previous Lebanese peace proposal called for deploying the Lebanese army in the south, but only after a cease-fire was reached and a set of political demands was met - including a release of Lebanese prisoners in Israel and steps toward resolving Lebanon's claims on a patch of border territory held by Israel for years.

But Siniora was backing a speeded-up deployment because the U.S.-French cease-fire plan - due to be voted on by the UN Security Council in the coming days - would leave IDF troops in south Lebanon after a halt in fighting. Hezbollah immediately rejected that as unacceptable, raising the likelihood of a continued escalation in the violence.

Siniora said leaving Israelis in the south was "impractical" because it was certain to mean continued fighting.

In the interview with The Washington Post, Siniora said the U.S.-French draft resolution should be changed to call for an Israeli withdrawal, and said the deployment of Lebanese troops in the south "can be done quickly."

Siniora's aide said the prime minister has proposed deploying 15,000 Lebanese soldiers in the south along with an additional 2,000 UN peacekeepers to back them up. That would be an increase over the 2,000 UN peacekeepers already in the south, who are lightly armed and have had no role in stopping the violence.

Siniora made the proposal in talks last week with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and European leaders, said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make statements to the media.