Diplomatic Initiatives Moving Forward in Middle East

The United States and Israel say they are ready to support an international force led by NATO in south Lebanon to ease tensions there that have left hundreds dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.

Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz, speaking with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Jerusalem Sunday, said that Israel is considering the idea.

"Due to the weakness of the Lebanese army, Israel supports the possibility of deploying a multinational force with a strong mandate," a defense ministry official quoted Amir Peretz as saying, adding that the force could be sponsored by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Steinmeier that Israel would only accept a strong EU force with battle experience.

"Israel is ready to see deployment of a force with military capabilities and combat experience made up of troops from European Union countries once its mandate has been fixed," Olmert said.

The mandate "will have to include control of the border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, deployment in south Lebanon and support for the Lebanese army," he added.

So far, there are no concrete proposals on the table, but German officials were optimistic the the plan would move forward.

"I am banking on finding a rapid solution," Steinmeier said. "Because I am convinced that the sooner we find a separate solution to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, the sooner we will begin to solve the problem on the Northern Israel-Lebanon border and end the hostilities."

Delicate questions

There could be delicate questions, however, on whether the force's mission is to disarm Hezbollah or to support the Lebanese army's efforts to take control in the south of the country.

"The discussions have not yet reached the stage where we can describe exactly what form such a security presence would take," Steinmeier said. "It could be a strengthening of the Lebanese military, it could mean taking over border control, but could be something else. We need to draw up a list of duties first and then spread the work out between an international task-force. I hope we can set off on the road to peace within the next few days."

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had already stated that the United States was open to the proposal. She will discuss it on her crisis mission to the Middle East and Italy this week.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said, however, that the United Nations should take the lead if an international force is to be established. Siniora, who called for an immediate ceasefire, said no concrete proposals have been offered for a multinational force.

A multilateral presence

However, on Sunday Mohamad Chatah, an advisor to Siniora, said the issue of a multinational force is "not at the center of the problem."

"What -- you send troops to finish a war that Israel couldn't finish," he asked on CNN. "And unless we have a clear solution to these problems and a political framework, a multinational force, whether NATO or a UN force, doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

Israeli media reported that the country could envisage an EU force controlling the border between Lebanon and Syria, similar to the successful operation between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Peretz told Steinmeier that the release of the Israeli soldiers was a pre-requisite for an end to the fighting.

Germany in 2004 brokered a prisoner swap between Israel and Hezbollah. Steinmeier played a leading role in that operation, but Berlin has not confirmed press reports that German intelligence agents were trying to solve the current hostage crisis.

Humanitarian disaster

Steinmeier said that progress has been made towards persuading Israel to open safe corridors in Lebanon and to allow an international force to deploy in the war-torn country.

"I am satisfied that we could reach certain agreements on opening up humanitarian corridors, which will be implemented," he told German public broadcaster ZDF.