Israel Aide Cautiously Welcomes Lebanon's Troops Plan-CNN

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Haaretz' crawl is saying Hezbollah has approved this plan.

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- An Israeli government official on Monday cautiously welcomed the Lebanese government's plans to send 15,000 soldiers to southern Lebanon as soon as Israeli troops withdraw.

"This in principle is something we embrace and support," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev told CNN. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating. I'd want to know the rules of engagement. Is the Lebanese army going to follow through and start to disarm Hezbollah?"

Earlier in the day, the Lebanese army called up reserve soldiers in a move linked to the possible deployment on the border if a cease-fire agreement is reach to end more than four weeks of fighting between Hezbollah guerrillas and Israeli forces.

Regev noted that the Israelis had been calling for the deployment of Lebanese troops in the southern part of the country, along the border with Israel, for years. "Up until now, when you went to the northern part of Israel and you looked north, you didn't see Lebanese army or flags - you saw Hezbollah flags and military formations," he said.

NASDAQ

[KoKo]

1. THANK YOU! I just now posted about this because no one had a link

and I started to question whether I had heard Blitzer/CNN wrong in this Breaking News from Lebanon.

Thanks! It sounded like a good proposal for Peace to me...with some little details worked out... that's if anyone wants REAL PEACE in the ME which given the Neo-Con's running Bush is probably NOT likely. :-(

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2. I'm not taking it too seriously yet.

But you are right, but it can't be bad. It might be enough of a fig leaf for withdrawal, and that might be enough to end the fighting. And if the fighting goes on, it will just get uglier and uglier.

[breakaleg]

3. At least they are offering possible solutions. And talking can never

be a bad thing. I'm sure Lebanon has an uphill battle on their hands, but I hope with Middle East support behind them and a few other open minded countries, they can at least reach an agreement that is tolerable to both sides and doesn't unduly punish just Lebanon.

Personally, I found the wording and conditions of the original proposal arrogant.