Lebanese, U.N. forces step in
Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, August 16, 2006
BEIRUT, Lebanon – Lebanese troops began deploying south of the strategic Litani River early today, a senior military official said, after the Israeli army stepped up its withdrawal from the south Lebanon region and handed over some of its positions to U.N. peacekeepers.
The rapid developments aimed at ending 34 days of fighting came after Lebanon’s government Wednesday agreed to deploy troops near Israel’s border for the first time in 40 years.
A senior official in the Lebanese army said around dawn today that Lebanese troops, backed by tanks and other armored vehicles, had begun arriving south of the river in line with the U.N. cease-fire plan.
A reporter saw about 40 military trucks and jeeps, carrying soldiers, equipment, luggage and plastic water tanks, heading to south Lebanon at around 4 a.m. The trucks and jeeps hoisted Lebanese flags as they drove into Beirut on their way to south Lebanon.
The Lebanese army had been assembling north of the Litani River, 18 miles from the Israeli border.
The Lebanese Cabinet decision fell short of agreement on disarming the Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah, which has insisted it has the right to defend Lebanese territory as long as Israeli troops remain in the country.
More than 50 percent of the areas Israel holds has been transferred to the U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL, the Israeli army said, adding the process would occur in stages and would depend on a stronger U.N. force as well as “the ability of the Lebanese army to take effective control of the area.”
The cease-fire plan calls for the 2,000-member U.N. force to increase to 15,000 and to be joined eventually by an equal number of Lebanese to assume control as Israeli forces withdraw.
Before dawn today several hundred Israeli soldiers crossed back over the border.
Some smiled, sang and rejoiced, while others just looked relieved to be out. One soldier sat down and cried, his head buried in his arms, after reaching Israel again.
Many said they had little faith that UNIFL and the Lebanese army would be able to rein in Hezbollah.
“I … hope so, but if we have to come back we’ll come back and we’ll do it again,” said John Braun, a military doctor.
Israel had as many as 30,000 troops in southern Lebanon during the conflict that began July 12 when Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid. Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, the Israeli chief of staff, said earlier that Israeli soldiers would stay in southern Lebanon for months, if necessary.
