August 3rd, 2006, day 23 in Lebanon,
5 more days to full moon in Aquarius
.
France moves in to fill the US vacuum
Foreign Editor's Briefing by Bronwen Maddox
"THE US took a long step towards the position of France yesterday in drawing up a United Nations resolution on the Lebanon crisis. The text, which could be presented to the UN Security Council as early as today, represents concessions by France, the US and Britain, but its centre of gravity is closest to French views. In a week when Tony Blair delivered his sharpest ever criticism of the US’s conduct of the War on Terror, this reflects a realignment of loyalties and some weakening of US influence, which may extend beyond this crisis."
More - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2297000,00.html
.
Getting a grip in Lebanon
by William Hague (Shadow Foreign Secretary)
The Security Council must roll up its sleeves
and mastermind a step-by-step confidence-building plan
"THE EVENTS OF the past few days have clearly demonstrated the depth of the Middle East crisis. A UN meeting to determine which countries might contribute troops to an international force was postponed. After a short lull in military activity after the tragic airstrike on Qana, Israel rejected calls for an immediate ceasefire, Hezbollah continued to rain rockets on Israeli towns and President Assad put the Syrian Army on a higher state of alert.
Perhaps most worrying of all, diplomatic efforts appeared to have been derailed when Condoleezza Rice’s visit to Beirut in pursuit of a ceasefire deal was abruptly cancelled and Israel announced that it would continue its offensive."
More - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,6-2296802,00.html
This video shows what Tsahal (IDF) left behind. An unusual viewpoint of the militia camera men. You know each militia commando has now its own cameras, just in case, and Le Monde in Paris does not mind sharing these views with the rest of the world...
90 seconds clip:
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/video/0,47-0@2-734511,54-800547@51-759824,0.html
.
20 Islamic nations meet at the OIC in Malaysia and announce their outrage
Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) is expected to call for an immediate ceasefire.
The leaders are also likely to back an international force for Lebanon.
Le Monde - for French speaking readers only, sorry ;-)
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-734511,36-800598@51-759824,0.html
In this report about the conference - attended by the President of Iran - the Prime Minister of Malaysia states that his country is prepared to serve with its soldiers in the multinational force. He asks that OIC nations do the same.
Same story - different viewpoint - by BBC in English:
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5240844.stm
.
Meanwhile Tsahal (IDF) resumes the shelling of Beirut while Olmert tells the world via Times Online how he envisions his peace. It is the world gone mad. We now know more or less what kind of ammunition Tsahal uses on Lebanese civilians, which is about the same as the alien dark forces used in Fallujah and allover most of Iraq in the early years.
SEE - http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article5274.shtml
and http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE150702006
However, as most diplomatic briefing analysts agree while August 3rd dawns in Europe, France is here now to fill the void the US Corporate "diplomacy" has left. The "sea change" of which Michael Donovan was telling us for a while here at RMN is indeed happening, so it seems, and everyone can watch it unfold at RMN. There is hope that saner heads will prevail.
France waits for everyone to read from the same script page.
Full moon is soon ;-)
Peace -
St.Clair
