LABANON: The Lebanese army called up 5,000 reservists last night to prepare for deployment along the border to try to speed up the departure of Israeli forces, the main hurdle to the United Nations security council adopting a ceasefire resolution.
The Lebanese army will only be deployed when Israel and Hizbullah agree to end hostilities.
The army, regarded as neutral by Israel, has not been involved in the present conflict. Its deployment would mark a significant change in the balance of power within the country: for more than 20 years southern Lebanon has been a virtual no-go area for the Lebanese army.
Timing on a vote on the draft ceasefire resolution slipped again yesterday. The draft calls for a full cessation of hostilities but would allow the Israeli army to take "defensive" action against Hizbullah.
Diplomats at the security council last night suspended discussion to await the arrival of a three-man delegation from the Arab League, which represents all the Arab states, to put counter-proposals on behalf of Lebanon.
Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister, told a meeting of his cabinet that he wanted the troops deployed much quicker than had been generally expected. With tears in his eyes at an emergency meeting in Beirut of the Arab League, he rejected the ceasefire resolution until it contains a provision demanding Israel withdraws from Lebanon.
Under Mr Siniora's proposal, up to 15,000 Lebanese troops would fan out in the south to guarantee an end to fighting, and the present UN peacekeeping force would be doubled to 4,000 troops to help until the international force arrives, an aide to the prime minister said.
Arab foreign ministers at the Beirut meeting vented their fury over the draft resolution they described as failing to "take Lebanon's interest and stability into account".
Yahya Mahmassani, the Arab League's UN representative, said: "The presence of Israeli soldiers on Lebanese soil means that this is an army of occupation and therefore we are back to square one."
The US president, George Bush, speaking at his ranch at Crawford, Texas, said that whatever happened at the UN, the US would not permit a vacuum in southern Lebanon into which Hizbullah, backed by Iran and Syria, could move fresh weapons.
He said the two-stage peace plan under discussion envisaged the Lebanese army, backed by an international force, probably led by France, moving into the Israeli border area and the international force also patrolling the Syria border to stop illegal arms shipments.
"As these Lebanese and international forces deploy, the Israeli Defence Forces will withdraw and both Israel and Lebanon will respect the Blue Line that divides them," Mr Bush said.
An international force of about 15,000-20,000 is proposed to back up the Lebanese army. A Lebanese army statement last night called on retired officers and regular soldiers who completed service five years ago to report to various military sections across the country from August 10th to 16th.
But there are many hurdles before the Lebanese army will be in a position to deploy, not least a ceasefire.
The Israeli government is reluctant to accept a truce until it can claim victory over Hizbullah. Brig-Gen Yossi Kuperwasser told a press conference in Jerusalem yesterday that the militia group was far from defeated. "Crushing Hizbullah is not like ordering pizza. It takes time," he said.
Although British prime minister Tony Blair and Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, predicted more than a week ago there would be a deal within days, a vote at the UN security council is unlikely before tomorrow at the earliest.
US, French and British diplomats expressed irritation over the delay. The British government believes the presence of an Arab League ambassador at the UN means there is no need to await the three-man delegation. The British government is also puzzled as to why France, which it had been assumed was negotiating on behalf of Lebanon, failed to square it with Beirut before going public with the draft resolution.
The US ambassador the UN, John Bolton, said Lebanon had been involved in early drafts of the plan, and that there had been "very close contact" with the governments of Lebanon and Israel. - (Guardian service)