British PM Confident Of UN Deal By Wednesday
Shaveta Bansal - All Headline News Staff Writer London, England (AHN) - British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday said he was confident that a U.N. resolution which calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East will be agreed Wednesday. The premier also urged the international community to avoid any further delays over the issue. In a television interview with Sky News, Blair said that he hoped to "get the resolution down and agreed, hopefully tomorrow, and do that without delay because it's important and that will call for a cessation of hostilities." The resolution, co-sponsored by France and the United States calls for an immediate ceasefire, but do not ask Israel to withdraw troops from Lebanon. The text of the resolution was rejected by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora earlier this week. Diplomats envision a second resolution that would call for Israel to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon and setting up a peacekeeping force in the conflicted area. The Arab League, after a meeting in Beirut, has said any resolution should call for Israel to pull out troops, but Israel says it won't leave until an international force arrives. Blair said diplomats should "take account of the reasonable representations made by the Arab League", but an Israeli withdrawal would not be in the first resolution. Blair is already under fire at home for failing to call for an immediate ceasefire earlier in the conflict. B |
