Israel To Withdraw Troops From Lebanon After U.N. Deploys 5,000 Peacekeepers
Komfie Manalo - All Headline News Foreign Correspondent Paris, France (AHN) - U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on Thursday said he was given assurances by the Israeli government it would withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon after the United Nations deploy and initial 5,000 international peacekeepers and 16,000 Lebanese troops in the region. He told French private radio Europe 1, "That is what I have just been discussing with the Israeli government. We agreed that with 5,000 UN troops and 16,000 Lebanese soldiers who will go down south, it would be a credible force to allow the Israelis to pull out entirely." "I hope that one week up to 10 days from now, we will have 5,000. At that point, the Israelis will be forced to pull out. It is very important because the situation is fragile. As long as there are Israeli troops on Lebanese territory, there are some Lebanese who are going to consider that they are being occupied." At the same time, Annan has pressed his call for Israel to end its sea and air blockade on Lebanon. "I think we need to move as soon as possible. We need to start lifting the blockade sooner because quite frankly I don't think the situation will hold until then." But Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has dismissed the call and said his government would only lift the blockade if U.N. resolution 1701 is fully implemented. Resolution 1701, which was unanimously adopted on August 11 by the U.N. |
