"Finally, decisive action!"

[unixronin]

Lebanon may finally be taking positive steps to end the conflict between Israel and Hizb'Allah.  It is reported that the Lebanese government in Beirut is planning to deploy 15,000 regular Lebanese Army troops to southern Lebanon.  Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert calls it "an interesting step", and an unnamed "senior Israeli official" said that if "a strong international force" were to join the Lebanese troops, Israel would be willing to withdraw all of its forces from Lebanon.

One Western diplomat called Lebanon's decision a potential "deal-maker". A senior Israeli official said: "It's the beginning of deal-making."

"The devil is often in the details and that's why we're studying this proposal closely and consulting with others," said Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev.

Lebanon has said it was unhappy with the initial U.S.-French draft, demanding it include a call for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.

Israel wants the revised resolution to make clear that the international force has the mandate and military capacity to keep Hizbollah from moving back into southern Lebanon.

"The exact make-up of this (international force) is something which needs to be discussed rapidly," Olmert said.  "It will not be a force of inspectors but rather a force of combat units that can be effective."

A senior Israeli official called the Lebanese decision "a positive first step" but said proposals to expand the existing U.N. force in south Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, were unacceptable because Israel considered UNIFIL weak.

"The question is whether this (Lebanese) force will be escorted by UNIFIL, which is an incompetent force, or whether this Lebanese force is supported by a strong stabilization force and then Hizbollah is incapable of penetrating back with arms," the official said.

This article is basically reinforcing what Israel has said all along: that Israel wants Hizb'Allah kept out of reach of Israel, and if Lebanon, with backing from a "competent" UN peacekeeping force, will clear Hizb'Allah out of the parts of Lebanon from which they can strike Israeli targets, Israel will be only too happy to go home.

"The faster we can leave south Lebanon, the happier we will be," Olmert said.