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Lebanese humanitarian crises: US, Israel and Britain oppose immediate cessation of hostilities at Rome meeting
In an interview with Le Monde, French President Jacques Chirac proposed international peacekeepers could secure Lebanon's borders with Israel and Syria but he rejected NATO participation, saying its troops could be perceived "as the armed wing of the West in the region". Chirac also took a swipe at Syria, saying the regime was "at odds with security and peace," and he accused Iran of being partly responsible for the Middle East conflict. "Information we have proves that sophisticated weapons and financing are sent by Iran, via Syria in all probability, to Hezbollah. It's a problem," Chirac said.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has rejected calls for an immediate ceasefire backed by many of Washington's European and Arab allies, saying the conditions are not in place and insisting the conflict can be resolved only by addressing its root causes. The view is shared by Britain, whose primary aim at the conference is to "find a way of addressing the terrible humanitarian plight that the Lebanese people find themselves in," a Foreign Office spokesman told journalists.
Most countries at the conference have backed the idea of a buffer force, but there are differences over its composition and the conditions under which it should be deployed. "Most EU nations are in agreement that Israel should not be put in charge of the bufferzone. "The force occupying the security zone, must have robust rules of engagement, to police the buffer zone, disarm militias and stop Israeli incursions into Lebanon if necessary."
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