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07-30-2006, 04:05 AM
Israel offers "five minute" ceasefire in Lebanon
29 Jul 2006 by Adam Tan
In a desperate bid to stave off a rising torrent of international criticism, Israel today announced it would agree to a brief ceasefire in Lebanon. "We will agree to a ceasefire of approximately five minutes in order to allow humanitarian aid to flow into Lebanon," said Amir Peretz, Israel's defence minister, at a news conference. Peretz called the offer "unprecedented in the annals of international conflict".
The offer comes amid growing signs of strain between Israel's two strongest supporters, the United States and its man in Britain, Tony Blair. President Bush had argued that any ceasefire should last no more than a minute and a half, according to sources close to the talks. Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose sympathy for the plight of Lebanese civilians has recently become more pronounced, initially advocated a ten-minute ceasefire. Confronted with strong American hostility to his proposal, Blair backed down, reportedly asserting that the ten minutes "could be scattered over several days." Diplomatic observers view Israel's position, a ceasefire for five consecutive minutes, as a compromise position.
Hezbollah reacted swiftly to the proposal, firing a brace of rockets into a field in northern Israel. The organisation's Al-Manar news service claimed the barrage destroyed "one, and quite possibly two abandoned sheds". The Israeli government angrily denied the claims. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah meanwhile gleefully proclaimed that "with our remaining arsenal of longer range and even less accurate rockets, no outbuilding in Israel is safe".
While expressing doubt that the parties would agree to any ceasefire, United Nations emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland put out a call for "lots of really, really fast cars" that could be used to rush aid into the Lebanese interior during the brief respite. "It's unlikely we'll be able to help many people," Egeland said, "but we've carried out even less effective actions in the past."
Military experts are divided on the impact such a brief ceasefire might have on the overall campaign. "It could allow several members of Hezbollah to carry out important morale-building activities, like taking a piss," noted Douglas Ramsbottom, director of the Center for Perpetual Conflict at the University of South Florida. However, others have noted that the pause in fighting could allow IDF soldiers to take a piss too, negating any advantage Hezbollah might otherwise obtain.
See More Here (http://deadbrain.co.uk/news/article_2006_07_29_2012.php)
29 Jul 2006 by Adam Tan
In a desperate bid to stave off a rising torrent of international criticism, Israel today announced it would agree to a brief ceasefire in Lebanon. "We will agree to a ceasefire of approximately five minutes in order to allow humanitarian aid to flow into Lebanon," said Amir Peretz, Israel's defence minister, at a news conference. Peretz called the offer "unprecedented in the annals of international conflict".
The offer comes amid growing signs of strain between Israel's two strongest supporters, the United States and its man in Britain, Tony Blair. President Bush had argued that any ceasefire should last no more than a minute and a half, according to sources close to the talks. Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose sympathy for the plight of Lebanese civilians has recently become more pronounced, initially advocated a ten-minute ceasefire. Confronted with strong American hostility to his proposal, Blair backed down, reportedly asserting that the ten minutes "could be scattered over several days." Diplomatic observers view Israel's position, a ceasefire for five consecutive minutes, as a compromise position.
Hezbollah reacted swiftly to the proposal, firing a brace of rockets into a field in northern Israel. The organisation's Al-Manar news service claimed the barrage destroyed "one, and quite possibly two abandoned sheds". The Israeli government angrily denied the claims. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah meanwhile gleefully proclaimed that "with our remaining arsenal of longer range and even less accurate rockets, no outbuilding in Israel is safe".
While expressing doubt that the parties would agree to any ceasefire, United Nations emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland put out a call for "lots of really, really fast cars" that could be used to rush aid into the Lebanese interior during the brief respite. "It's unlikely we'll be able to help many people," Egeland said, "but we've carried out even less effective actions in the past."
Military experts are divided on the impact such a brief ceasefire might have on the overall campaign. "It could allow several members of Hezbollah to carry out important morale-building activities, like taking a piss," noted Douglas Ramsbottom, director of the Center for Perpetual Conflict at the University of South Florida. However, others have noted that the pause in fighting could allow IDF soldiers to take a piss too, negating any advantage Hezbollah might otherwise obtain.
See More Here (http://deadbrain.co.uk/news/article_2006_07_29_2012.php)