Rebuilding and Security in Focus August 23, 2006 10:41 a.m. Updated regularly with news on the Israel-Hezbollah-Lebanon crisis. All times ET. Wednesday, Aug. 23 10:35 a.m.: Israel's foreign minister called the situation in Lebanon "explosive" and urged the international community to work quickly to deploy peacekeeping troops there. Tzipi Livni was meeting with French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy in Paris. 8:15 a.m.: Three Lebanese soldiers were killed while they dismantled an unexploded missile in southern Lebanon, Lebanese security officials said. [syria]5:10 a.m.: Syrian President Bashar Assad rejected deploying U.N. troops along the Syrian borders with Lebanon. "This is an infringement on Lebanese sovereignty and a hostile position," he said in an interview with Dubai Television. Assad also urged the Lebanese government to adhere to its responsibilities and not embark on anything that could sabotage the relations between the two countries. 3:45 a.m.: An Israeli soldier was shot during a military operation in the Lebanese village of Taibeh, Lebanese al Arabiya television said. The report didn't specify the condition of the soldier. 3:10 a.m.: Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is in Paris for meetings with French diplomats. The meetings with Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy are to focus on the situation in Lebanon since the U.N. cease-fire and also touch on renewed efforts to find a "global solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict," the French Foreign Ministry said. 2:45 a.m.: An Israeli soldier was killed and three other wounded in southern Lebanon when their tank drove on a land mine, Arab news media said. The Israeli military wasn't immediately available to comment on the report.
[Olmert] Olmert 1:15 a.m.: Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz gave Olmert a list of options for investigating the conduct of the recent war in Lebanon, the Justice Ministry said, as the Israeli leader faced mounting calls for a sweeping probe. One of the alternatives Mazuz presented was an independent commission of inquiry, with the power to dismiss top government and military officials. 12:45 a.m.: Israel signed a contract with Germany last month to buy two more submarines capable of firing nuclear missiles, according to The Jerusalem Post. The Dolphin-class vessels will have a propulsion system that will allow them to remain underwater far longer than the submarines in the Israeli Navy's current fleet. The submarines will be operational in the near future, and carry a price tag of nearly $1.3 billion, the newspaper said. Israel's Defense Ministry declined to comment on the report. [U.N.]12:45 a.m.: Declaring that the Middle East peace process has reached "a sorry juncture," the U.N. political chief called for a new international effort to settle decades of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari told the U.N. Security Council that the crises in the region must be addressed together in a comprehensive approach championed by the council "to bring peace and stability to the region as a whole." Tuesday, Aug. 22 [israel-hezbollah]5:45 p.m.: A senior U.N. envoy visiting Israel after talks with Lebanese leaders in Beirut said that efforts were continuing to secure the release of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah and that Israel may be warming to the idea of trading Lebanese prisoners it holds in exchange. 4 p.m.: An oil slick caused by Israeli bombing has begun sinking to the floor of the Mediterranean, blanketing marine life with sludge, according to a Greenpeace video that shows dead fish along the sea bottom. "You have the bottom of the sea filled with fuel -- between the rocks and little valleys. It's just dotted and covered with black tar," said Mohammed El Sarji, head of the Lebanese Union of Professional Divers. The U.N. has said the spill could take as long as a year to clean up and cost $64 million. [Annan] Annan 2:10 p.m.: Annan plans to attend a meeting of European Union foreign ministers Friday as the group seeks to advance efforts to pull together a peacekeeping force. The meeting was called at the request of Italy amid mounting international pressure on the Europeans to commit troops. 2 p.m.: Olmert said Israel will lift its air and sea blockade of Lebanon once an international peacekeeping force is deployed along Lebanon's borders. [lahoud_emile_sm.jpg] Lahoud 12:15 p.m.: Lebanese President Emil Lahoud said Israeli attacks could cost more than US$5 billion in damages, well above the government's previous estimate. Lahoud made the remarks in an interview broadcast late Monday with Venezuelan TV station Telesur. Earlier, a Lebanese official had put the number at US$3.5 billion. 9:45 a.m.: U.N. envoy Terje Roed-Larsen said that the security situation in Lebanon would remain "vulnerable" for two to three months. 8:45 a.m.: Italy, which had signaled willingness to take on a major role in the peacekeeping mission, threatened to withhold troops if Israel doesn't respect the cease-fire. [israel-hezbollah]6:30 a.m.: A Hezbollah cabinet minister said the government may attempt to break the Israeli naval and air blockade of Lebanon by calling on ships and aircraft to travel to Lebanese ports without prior Israeli approval. The government has condemned the blockade, saying it violates the U.N. cease-fire resolution, and the foreign minister called on the international community to force Israel to end the blockade. 4:15 a.m.: Israeli troops shot and killed three militants from the Islamic Jihad group near the Israel-Gaza border fence. The Israeli army said soldiers opened fire after spotting what they considered suspicious figures walking near the fence, carrying large bags. No weapons were found near the bodies, but Palestinian security officials said the three had been sent to carry out an attack. 4 a.m.: Indonesia insisted on its right to send troops to the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, dismissing Israeli objections to its involvement because the mostly Muslim country doesn't recognize the Jewish state. Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said Israel shouldn't be able to dictate which countries join the mission. "We insist that the decision is taken by United Nations, not Israel," he said. "It is illogical to put diplomatic relations [with Israel] as a precondition to joining the force." 3:35 a.m.: German airline Lufthansa said it would resume flights to Beirut, more than a month after fighting forced it to suspend the route. The airline said it would resume flying five times a week from Frankfurt to the Lebanese capital. 3:10 a.m.: Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul left for Syria to discuss the cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon and Turkey's possible contribution to a peacekeeping force, stressing that Turkey will never accept mission to disarm Hezbollah. 2:55 a.m.: Israeli soldiers, backed by helicopter gunships, tanks and armored personnel carriers, moved into Palestinian-controlled areas near the main Israel-Gaza cargo crossing, conducting house-to-house searches and arrests. Five Palestinians were wounded moderately, including three Hamas militants, medical officials said. Three Palestinians were arrested, security officials said. [israel]2:30 a.m.: The Israeli Defense Ministry has suspended a panel's review of the military's performance during the just-ended war in Lebanon, security officials said. Defense Minister Amir Peretz appointed the panel last week following widespread criticism of military failings during the 34-day offensive against Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas. But the panel's operations were frozen until the government decides whether to order a broader inquiry into the conduct of the war, the security officials said. Monday, Aug. 21 9:20 p.m.: WSJ's Guy Chazan reports: A snowballing protest movement led by Israeli reservist soldiers enraged at the government's conduct of the war with Hezbollah is roiling Israel's political establishment and fueling demands for the resignation of Olmert and the military top brass. More <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115620490708041666.html?mod=Mideast-Crisis- Tracker> 1. 5:40 p.m.: How would you grade the White House's handling of the Lebanon crisis? Vote <http://discussions.wsj.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=wsjvoices&nav=messages&m sg=3978> 2. [Olmert] Olmert 5:35 p.m.: Where things stand. Olmert tried to defuse growing public anger over his handling of the war. The Israeli army is waiting for the U.N. force to arrive before fully withdrawing from southern Lebanon. The fighting has left nearly 966 people dead -- 809 in Lebanon and 157 on the Israeli side, according to official counts. The three main U.S. allies in the Arab world -- Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia -- have been pushing for a revival of negotiations between Israel and Syria. 3:25 p.m.: Italian Prime Minister Prodi said he told U.N. Secretary-General Annan that Italy is willing to command the U.N. force in Lebanon, news agencies reported. Prodi said Annan would make the decision about who would lead the force "after completing an analysis and discussions with the leaders of countries that are interested in joining the mission," the Italian news agencies ANSA and Apcom reported. Prodi said a new U.N. resolution proposed by Bush was "prudent." 3:20 p.m.: Lebanon needs about $3.5 billion to repair buildings and infrastructure damaged during the war, and the rebuilding effort was being hampered by lack of government leadership, Fadel al Shalaq, the Lebanese official in charge of reconstruction, told CNN. [syria]3 p.m.: Embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad moved to ease tensions with Arab leaders whom he had mocked as incompetent in confronting Israel -- causing the latest rift among Arab states. Last week, Assad knocked Arab leaders as "half men," underlining the sharp division among Arab nations. Assad's conciliatory move came amid reports that Qatar has stepped in to mediate between Syria and Egypt. 2:45 p.m.: United Nations envoy Terje Roed-Larsen met with Israeli officials. He arrived in Israel yesterday after two days of meetings with officials in Beirut, where discussions focused on the need to halt the supply of arms and ammunition to Hezbollah, while lifting Israel's air and sea embargo on Lebanon. The envoy had separate meetings with Defense Minister Amir Peretz and Vice Premier Shimon Peres and said both Israel and Lebanon appeared keen to preserve the cease-fire. [U.S.]2:20 p.m.: The U.S. plans to introduce a new U.N. resolution on disarming Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, but U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said it shouldn't hold up the quick deployment of U.N. peacekeepers. The U.N. says it wants at least 3,500 new troops on the ground in south Lebanon by Aug. 28, but countries that are potential troop contributors have expressed concern about the rules of engagement. 1:40 p.m.: Israeli troops shot and wounded two Hezbollah guerrillas during a clash in southern Lebanon, the army said. Soldiers opened fire after guerrillas approached the force in a "threatening manner." 1 p.m.: Hundreds of Israeli reservists pushed for an investigation of how the government and army handled fighting with Hezbollah guerrillas, saying they were rushed into battle without enough food, water and equipment. [Image] Bush 10:05 a.m.: In a news conference, Bush called for a peacekeeping force to be put in place in Lebanon as quickly as possible and announced $230 million in aid for humanitarian and reconstruction efforts, plus additional funding to rebuild infrastructure in Israel. (Bush's <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115617405231141081.html?mod=Mideast-Crisis- Tracker> remarks3) 8:30 a.m.: Syria is the "single most aggressive member of the axis of evil," said Olmert, ruling out a resumption of negotiations with Damascus at this time. "I am the last person who will say I want to negotiate with Syria," Olmert said in unusually harsh comments. In a visit to the Arab town of Maghar in northern Israel, Olmert noted that rockets that hit the town in 34 days of Israel-Hezbollah fighting came from Syria. 7:25 a.m.: Pope Benedict XVI expressed dismay that the conflict in the Middle East has persisted for so long and lamented a lack of dialogue to bring lasting, the Vatican said. The pontiff, who made several impassioned pleas for a cease-fire during the recent Lebanon fighting, launched his latest appeal for reconciliation during a Mass on Sunday at a religious gathering in the Italian sea resort of Rimini. "In this moment of profound trouble, the thoughts of the Holy Father are with the Holy Land and the Middle East regions," he said. 6:30 a.m.: Israeli warplanes roared over Lebanon's northern Mediterranean coast and along its border with Syria after the Lebanese defense minister warned rogue Palestinian rocket teams against attacking Israel and provoking retaliation that could unravel an already shaky cease-fire. More <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115614919665540901.html?mod=Mideast-Crisis- Tracker> 4. [Olmert] Olmert 5:30 a.m.: Olmert ruled out peace talks with Syria as long as it supports "terror organizations," following a suggestion from a cabinet member earlier in the day that it was time to resume talks with Syria despite its support for Hezbollah. "I recommend not to get carried away with any false hopes," Olmert said during a tour of northern Israel which. "When Syria stops support for terror, when it stops giving missiles to terror organizations, then we will be happy to negotiate with them." 2:55 a.m.: Germany's defense minister insisted anew that Berlin will send no combat troops to Lebanon, but said he was hopeful of a "robust" mandate for its proposed naval contingent. German concerns rooted in the Nazi-era past helped prompt the government to rule out putting front-line troops on the ground in southern Lebanon, near Israel's border. Instead, it is offering to help patrol Lebanon's coastline and ensure Hezbollah militants aren't supplied with weapons by sea. 2:30 a.m.: Israel should resume negotiations with Syria and, in exchange for peace, give up the Golan Heights, an Israeli Cabinet minister said. It wasn't immediately clear whether Public Security Minister Avi Dichter expressed his personal views or spoke for Olmert. 1:50 a.m.: The time isn't right to resume negotiations with Syria, Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres said, adding that Israel is too busy trying to deal with Lebanon and the Palestinians. Israel's defense minister, Amir Peretz, had proposed last week that Israel put out feelers to Damascus, amid growing concerns in Israel that Syria, if left on the sidelines, would further deepen its ties with Iran. Peres dismissed the idea. 12:25 a.m.: France has called for a meeting of European Union countries this week to determine the number of troops they are prepared to contribute to the expanded U.N. peacekeeping force. Europe has been slow to make any firm troop commitments, and U.N. officials have called on the Europeans to offer more troops to balance pledges from Muslim countries. http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB115306760246608000-zddBwDkbQ5MI BjNfpMyKVNXTijo_20060921.html [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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