Olmert ready to consider Lebanon's troop offer
Lebanon’s offer to deploy 15,000 troops along the border with Israel is “interesting” and worthy of further consideration, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said today.
Israel has long demanded a deployment of Lebanese forces, along with the disarming of Hezbollah guerrillas.
However, it appeared Israeli leaders are reluctant to embrace Lebanon’s offer more strongly because of concern it might be a ploy to get Israeli troops out of south Lebanon, without removing Hezbollah first.
Israel’s response to the Lebanese offer – including an expected Cabinet decision tomorrow on whether to stage a massive new ground incursion – will depend on Lebanon’s willingness to back its offer with action on the ground, Asaf Shariv, Olmert’s chief spokesman, said.
“Basically in the Middle East you never (decide) based on talking. We should see actions, preparing something,” he said. “Let’s see what happens on the ground.”
Israel appeared also to be concerned that the Lebanese army may not be strong enough on its own to prevent Hezbollah from attacking Israel.
Olmert today reiterated Israel’s desire to see Lebanese troops deployed along the border with Israel, but backed by a strong multi-national force.
“It looks interesting and we will examine it closely,” Olmert said of the Lebanese offer.
“We said from the outset, naturally we would like to see Lebanese army … combined with strong military support that will come from other countries in south Lebanon,” Olmert added.
He reiterated that Israel has no intention of reoccupying south Lebanon. “The faster we leave south Lebanon, the happier we will be, once we have achieved our goals,” he said.
More than 10,000 Israeli soldiers are fighting several hundred Hezbollah guerrillas in south Lebanon. Israel is trying to push back the guerrillas who have fired thousands of rockets at northern Israel.
Tomorrow, the Israeli Security Cabinet was to decide whether to approve an army plan for pushing even deeper into Lebanon, until the Litani River, about 18 miles from the border.
The international community has to make a rapid decision about the make-up and responsibilities of a multi-national force, Olmert said, adding that it should include combat troops.
Defence Minister Amir Peretz said the military campaign would continue, and that Israel would not wait for diplomatic efforts to bear fruit. A draft UN Security Council resolution on a ceasefire deal is still being debated.
Arab countries have registered objections because the draft does not say specifically that Israeli troops have to leave south Lebanon as part of a truce. Israel has said its troops will only leave once a multinational force has been deployed.
