RISE of EUROPE ( & EU INFLUENCE in MIDDLE EAST)
EUROPEAN STEPS - into the Middle East
Middle East: World Considers Another International Force For Lebanon
By Jeffrey Donovan
PRAGUE, July 24, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- As the conflict between Israel and Hizballah rages, there are increasing calls for the deployment of just such an international force, an idea first proposed last week by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
On July 23, Israel for the first time said it conditionally backed the idea.
The UN has already had 2,000 peacekeepers in Lebanon for more than a quarter century. Yet the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL) has hardly kept the peace.
Outdated Mandate
UNFIL spokesman Milos Struga tells RFE/RL that that’s understandable, given the nature of the multinational force’s 1978 mandate from the UN Security Council.
"UNIFL does not have any enforcement power, and never had, ever since the first Israeli invasion of Lebanon in ’78," Struga says. "We did not have the power to enforce something on the parties. These powers were never given by the Security Council. Second, our mandate is mainly of an observer mission at the moment, to observe and report what is happening. So that is precisely what we are doing.”
But that’s not what’s needed now, as the conflict rages on, so far claiming more than 400 mostly civilian lives.
Last week at the Group of Eight (G8) summit in St. Petersburg, UN Secretary-General Annan and British Prime Minister Blair floated the idea of creating a larger, stronger multinational peacekeeping force for southern Lebanon.
Pushing Back Hizballah
The idea is that such a force could patrol a buffer zone between the two countries inside southern Lebanon, from which Hizballah militia would be removed and thus prevented from firing rockets into Israel.
"We are going to discuss with the international community the best way to support the Lebanese government," said Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. "We believe that the responsibility [for southern Lebanon] is on the Lebanese government, but we can support some ideas of effective forces that will help the Lebanese government in full implementation of the statements and the [UN] resolution in order to dismantle Hizballah, to take them out of the southern part of Lebanon and prevent rearming of Hizballah in the future."
Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz, also speaking on July 23, suggested that a new force could be led by NATO or by troops from European Union nations.
Neil Quillian, a London-based expert on the region, says Israel appears to believe it can lay the groundwork for the deployment of a new international force by continuing to degrade Hizballah’s capabilities in southern Lebanon over the 10 days.
“We’re likely to see Hizballah downgraded sufficiently that the Israelis would feel comfortable primarily with a European-led peacekeeping force that had a mandate, one, to police the border; two, to continue disarming Hizballah; and, three, to work with the Lebanese government and help it extend its sovereignty right down to the southern reaches of the country.”
NATO Overreaching?
But Israeli Defense Minister Peretz also said on July 23 he doubted that NATO could find the necessary consensus among its members to carry out such a delicate mission.
And the alliance might already be overburdened.
In Afghanistan, NATO is due to take over the security of southern Afghanistan by the end of July with troop numbers increased to 16,000 from 9,700. That comes as Taliban-led fighters are increasingly active in the area. This is one of the biggest and most dangerous missions the alliance has ever undertaken.
Quillian tells RFE/RL that while the Security Council would likely be able to reach a consensus on a new peacekeeping force for southern Lebanon, it’s unclear who could lead it or contribute troops:
Europe’s leading powers are currently involved in delicate nuclear talks with Iran, which is a key backer of the Shi'ite Hizballah movement.
An Israeli tank on the border with Lebanon on July 23 (epa)“Britain, France, and Germany -- if they were included in such a team, that would complicate matters with Iran," he says. "It would have to be thought through very, very carefully because those three countries do have better relations with Iran than other European countries. It would take considerable time and diplomacy to actually arrive at a team that would be able to carry out its duties properly.”
One thing such a force would not be able to do is drive any remaining Hizballah forces from southern Lebanon. Which is why, in Quillian’s view, the United States has so far refused to back calls for an immediate cease-fire.
Focus On 'Root Causes'
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who made a surprise stop in Lebanon today on her way to Israel, has said that Washington wants a cease-fire but only if the root causes of the conflict have been addressed.
Quillian says that means allowing Israel time to continue to weaken Hizballah and evacuate southern Lebanon.
“The position would be that the ground had been sufficiently cleared for the peacekeeping force to actually go in," Quillian says. "However, as a long-term strategy, Hizballah is likely to rearm and reequip itself and present a challenge, perhaps in the next three or four years, so that it would in itself constitute a longer-term problem. Hence, we might see the Syrians brought into the negotiating process to rein in Hizballah and make them a part of the emerging political system.”
Rice is due to take part in crisis talks on the conflict in Rome on July 26.
Italian government sources say Israel could also attend the high-level gathering, where Rice will be joined by representatives from Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Spain, as well as the United Nations and the World Bank.
THE EU ROME CONFERENCE on LEBANON and The MIDDLE EAST
Middle East: Rome Conference Fails To Agree Lebanon Cease-Fire
By Jeffrey Donovan
Condoleezza Rice (left) talks to Kofi Annan before the meeting in Rome on July 26
(epa)
PRAGUE, July 26, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Emergency talks in Rome today on ending the conflict in Lebanon failed to produce a call for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
Instead, the participants pledged to work with "utmost urgency" for a truce, as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a news conference in Rome.
"We all committed to dedicated and urgent action to try and bring about an end to this violence that indeed would be sustainable, that would leave the Lebanese government with the prospect of full control of its country," she said. "This is very important. We cannot -- and I've heard it many, many times during this conference -- we cannot return to the status quo ante." "We cannot -- and I've heard it many, many times during this conference -- we cannot return to the status quo ante." -- Rice
In a statement read out by the conference host, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema, the participants also pledged to work to provide humanitarian relief to Lebanon and urged Israel to show "utmost restraint" as it continues to carry out its military offensive.
Lebanese Disappointment
Prior to the talks, European and Arab leaders as well as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had been expected to push for a call for an immediate cease-fire.
D'Alema acknowledged many participants had done just that, saying himself that a truce should have been reached "yesterday."
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, standing next to Rice at the news conference, did not mask his disappointment. He said that "an immediate cease-fire" had been "discussed quite amply," and that some progress was made, "in terms of really handling all the issues, but that [a cease-fire] was our expectation."
Significantly, Siniora had praise for Hizballah, whose capture and killing of Israeli troops two weeks ago sparked Israel's offensive.
The Lebanese prime minister said Hizballah had been key in ending Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon and that it is a legitimate part of the Lebanese government. He also called on Israel to withdraw from the Shebaa Farms area, which he said is Lebanese territory, and for Israel to free what he called Lebanese political prisoners.
Wider International Involvement
Annan noted that any solution would require the input of countries in the region which, however, were not invited to take part in the Rome talks. "It is important that we work with the countries of the region to find a solution, and that should also include Iran and Syria," he said.
Among agreed points, Rice said all sides concurred on the need to set up "an international force under a UN mandate that will have a strong and robust capability to help bring about peace, to help provide the ability for humanitarian efforts to go forward and to bring an end to the violence."
However, the timing of deployment and composition of such a force remains unclear.
Besides Rice, the foreign ministers of 14 European and Arab nations took part in the talks, along with Annan and envoys from the World Bank and European Union. An envoy from the Vatican sat in on the discussions as an observer.
EU: Brussels Unveils Aid Package For Palestinians
By Charles Recknagel
Hamas has refused to bow to pressure to recognize Israel
(TASS)
The European Union has unveiled a package worth more than 120 million euros ($142 million) to meet the
"basic needs" of the Palestinian population. The move comes amid controversy over Hamas' victory in the recent Palestinian elections.
PRAGUE, 27 February 2006 (RFE/RL) – EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner announced the package today at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
"I have announced in the [European] Council a very substantial package of assistance to the Palestinians to meet basic needs, but also to support the caretaker government until the new authority takes over -- so, in the interim period," she said. "And the total value of this package that I presented is of 120 million euros." "This package is independent from any future decisions on support for the incoming Palestinian Authority, which will be reviewed once the new government is in place."
But in unveiling the new financial package, she made it clear the money is intended to be used for humanitarian and administrative purposes only.
"In effect, we will pay Palestinian energy bills for them directly to the utility companies concerned, including those from Israel," Ferrero-Waldner added
A statement issued to the press ahead of today's unveiling was even more to the point: "this package is independent from any future decisions on support for the incoming Palestinian Authority, which will be reviewed once the new government is in place."
That appeared to be a direct reference to the fact that the new government is expected to include, and indeed could be led by, representatives of the Palestinian militant Islamic group Hamas.
Specifically, the EU said 40 million euros "will be earmarked to ensure the continued and uninterrupted supply of essential public services such as electricity and water."
It said another 64 million euros "will be allocated to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency [and] this emergency relief will help alleviate the hardships of the most vulnerable people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip."
The EU noted that "in addition, the European Commission is supporting the release of some of the money held over from 2005 in the World Bank Reform Trust Fund, in order to help the caretaker government meet obligations including salary payments."
The EU move comes amid much international controversy regarding Hamas' victory in the 25 January parliamentary elections. That is because Hamas opposes the Arab-Israeli peace process and does not recognize the right of the Jewish state to exist. At the same time, Hamas claims responsibility for carrying out some 60 suicide bombings since 2000 against Israeli targets.
No Money For Hamas
Both before and since the election, aid to any Palestinian government that includes Hamas has become a sensitive subject.
Prior to the vote, Washington warned it would review its aid to the Palestinian territories if Hamas won. Since then, Washington has said it would provide aid to the Palestinians only for humanitarian purposes unless Hamas joins the peace process.
U.S. envoy David Welch made that point in a visit to the West Bank town of Ramallah for talks with Palestinian officials on 25 February.
"The United States has long been a supporter of the Palestinian people, through substantial contributions of our foreign assistance funds, and as [U.S.] Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice has indicated to the American Congress as recently as few days ago, we continue to be devoted to the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people and we shall remain so," Welch said
In the severest cut back of funds so far since the Hamas victory, the Israeli cabinet on 19 February approved a halt to monthly transfers of tens of millions of dollars in customs duties that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. That move was part of a package of tough new Israeli restrictions on Palestinians aimed at weakening Hamas.
Turning To Iran
Shortly afterward, on 22 February, Tehran said it plans to fund a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority if the West cuts off aid.
Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, issued the pledge in Tehran after a meeting with Hamas representatives. Iran has been a strong Hamas backer and, like the militant group, does not recognize Israel.
Meanwhile, some international aid officials say that the Palestinian territories are in dire need of funds, no matter who makes up the government.
International envoy James Wolfensohn said today the Palestinian Authority faces financial collapse within weeks.
Wolfensohn, the former head of the World Bank, said the crisis is looming because Israel has stopped reimbursing the millions of dollars in customs duties. And he warned that a collapse could lead to violence and chaos.
Wolfensohn made the warning in a letter to the so-called Quartet of the European Union, Russia, the United Nations, and the United States.