US and France narrow gap on Lebanon truce

UNITED NATIONS - The United States and France narrowed differences today over a UN resolution to end fighting between Israel and Hizbollah, with diplomats hoping for a tentative deal by the end of the day.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said in Paris he expected an agreement soon. "Things are moving in New York today. I hope they move even more quickly and in the hours to come," he told reporters.

US Ambassador John Bolton was also optimistic. "It is entirely possible we could have a vote tomorrow (Saturday)," he told reporters. "That is our aspiration but we have to resolve (outstanding) issues right away."

The text has not been distributed yet to the 15-member council which usually studies it for 24 hours before a vote.

The key obstacle was the timetable for Israel's withdrawal from a narrow strip of southern Lebanon.

France, backing Lebanon, wants Israel to begin withdrawing 10,000 troops as soon as the Lebanese army and a beefed up UN peacekeeping force deploys in south Lebanon, now controlled by Hizbollah's militia.

The United States, which supported Israel's position had argued that Israel could keep troops in Lebanon until the arrival of a larger and better-armed international force, which France may lead.

The compromise, according to sources in Beirut, is that the UN peacekeepers, known as UNIFIL, would be reinforced by French troops before an international force is on the ground. As part of the deal, Hizbollah would pull out from south of the Litani river, 20 km from the Israeli border.

Israel's UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman said the multinational force would be established under UNIFIL, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, "but a number of European countries have voice their agreement to be part of this force."

He told Israeli's Channel 1 television that "it will be completely different from the blue helmets we know today."

Israel regards UNIFIL, which has a weak mandate, as ineffective.

France yesterday proposed an amendment to the draft resolution, which says that as 15,000 Lebanese troops begin to deploy in the south, the Israeli army should start to "withdraw behind the blue line," a UN-demarcated border between Israel and Lebanon, according to council diplomats.

As in earlier drafts the resolution is expected to include an arms embargo on weapons flowing into Lebanon except for those ordered by the Beirut army and UN forces.

A second resolution is expected to follow within a month setting out terms for a permanent cease-fire, including the release of two Israeli soldiers abducted by Hizbollah in a cross-border raid on July 12 that sparked the conflict.

But in Lebanon, the parties still seemed intent on fighting. Israel's security cabinet yesterday authorised more ground troops to enter south Lebanon, while Hizbollah said it was ready to turn the area into a graveyard for Israelis and called on Israeli Arabs to leave Haifa so they could aim more rockets at the port city.

Still Israel's security cabinet put off the expanded ground operation to see if a diplomatic deal could be reached.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to come to the Security Council for a vote as is British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett, who broke her holiday in France and is en route to New York, Britain said.

More than 1,000 Lebanese and 121 Israelis have been killed in the conflict.

- REUTERS