Israel at War Watch: Israel Rejects End to Lebanon Blockade

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (L) ducks as he and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert walk past a fruit tree on their way to a joint press conference in Jerusalem. Annan has told Israel to end its crippling blockade of war-devastated Lebanon, but failed to extract any public promise for an immediate halt to the near seven-week siege.

Reuters: Israel rejects U.N. blockade appeal

Israel rejected a call by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on Wednesday to lift its air and sea blockade of Lebanon, saying it would only end the 7-week-old siege once all aspects of a ceasefire were in place.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also told Annan he would not withdraw Israeli troops fully from southern Lebanon until the full implementation of the ceasefire, which took effect on August 14 and ended 34 days of conflict with Hizbollah guerrillas.

Olmert’s statements effectively amounted to a rejection of the two main requests Annan had come to Jerusalem to discuss, but Annan later played down the differences of opinion, saying his and Olmert’s thinking were not so far apart.

And why should Israel completely disengage from Lebanon prior to full implementation of UNSCR 1701? And enable the rearming/resupplying of Hezbollah by land and sea?

Is Annan a NUT or just an apologist and facilitator for the Islamofascists?

Probably the latter.

Israel may have performed poorly in the war with Hezbollah but Prime Minister Olmert is NOT that STUPID.

Olmert said any relaxation of pressure on Lebanon’s ports and airspace depended on the full implementation of U.N. resolution 1701, which governs the ceasefire with Hizbollah.

“The (resolution) is a fixed buffet and everything will be implemented, including the lifting of the blockade, as part of the entire implementation of the different articles,” he said.

Olmert was equally firm when Annan suggested Israel should withdraw its troops from Lebanon within “days or weeks” once up to 5,000 U.N.-backed peacekeepers are on the ground.

“Israel will pull out of Lebanon once the resolution is implemented,” Olmert said, indicating a longer timeline.

Indeed…..

Stay tuned……

Cox & Forkum on Disarming Hezbollah

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