![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
. |
Israel reacts coolly to mooted Lebanon army deployment JERUSALEM, Aug 8 (AFP) Aug 08, 2006 Israel reacted coolly Tuesday to Lebanon's offer to deploy 15,000 government troops in the south, saying the move could serve as a "smokescreen" for Shiite militant group Hezbollah. "We need to see how serious this proposition is. This could be a smokescreen behind which Hezbollah can continue operating," government spokesman Avi Pazner told AFP. "This could be a tactical move ahead of the UN Security Council meeting" due to convene later Tuesday, he said. Israel launched a massive air and ground offensive in Lebanon after Hezbollah captured two servicemen in a deadly cross-border raid on July 12. Foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev was a little more upbeat, recalling Israel's longstanding support in principle for the deployment of Lebanese troops to the international border in the place of Hezbollah fighters. "Israel's constant position is that the Lebanese army needs to be deployed in all parts of Lebanon. We support the principle," Regev told AFP. The Lebanese government said Monday that it was ready to deploy 15,000 troops in the south once Israel had withdrawn all its soldiers. All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.
|
. |
|