After several days of secrete consultations, the United States and France have finally reached unanimity on the draft resolution on the cessation of the Lebanon-Israel conflict, on which 15 members of the UN Security Council are now in consultations, so as to get it passed at the UN Security Council and be turned into an official resolution.

The draft appeals to all the conflicting parties for "a full cessation of hostilities based upon, in particular, the immediate cessation by Hezbollah of all attacks and the immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations." US President George W. Bush, who is vacationing on his home range in Texas, expressed his pleasure on the concession reached by the U.S. and France, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair voiced acknowledgment.

Some commentaries take it as a victory for the principle of "pressing for an immediate ceasefire" by France, and it is, in fact, an embodiment of the call of international opinion for ending the bloodshed. In face of an ever-soaring international pressure for immediate truce, the United States has to readjust its tactics and abandon its previous opposition to immediate ceasefire. In essence, the American concession does not have much practical significance, because, in the view of the U.S. and Israel, there are differences between "the cessation of hostilities" and "immediate ceasefire." Moreover, with the persistent efforts by the U.S., Israel's security interests is safeguarded resolutely in the draft resolution.

In the draft, those terms concerning the establishment of an area free of any armed personnel and establishment of an international embargo on the sale or supply of arms and related material to Lebanon except as authorized by its government, are directed against Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, the draft does not demand Israel immediate pullout from all southern Lebanese territories it has occupied. So people might get the impression that the draft resolution centers on how to ensure its security environment. At this point, the United States does not consider itself making any concession in principle.

On the whole, the draft can be said to be a gratifying outcome. What is worrisome, however, is the fact that some major terms are difficult to be accepted by both sides and there could be many twists and turns in the course of implementation.

Hezbollah cabinet ministers in the Lebanese government are reported to say, upon learning the contents of the draft resolution, that Hezbollah will not stop fighting provided Israel does not halt air strikes or pull out from Lebanon, they will not observe the drat resolution provided Israeli troops goes on staying in Lebanon. It is disclosed that both the U.S. and Israel hopes its troops will still stay on in southern Lebanon after cessation of hostilities until the deployment of a competent multinational force there and ensuing disarming of Hezbollah militants.

As a matter of fact, Israel has so far no intention for an immediate ceasefire. Its tourism minister, Yitzhak Herzog, said his country will not halt fighting against Lebanon right now and that many of its military moves have to be completed as soon as possible in the next couple of days.

Therefore, the call for a cessation of all hostilities in the draft will have to be truly accomplished only after the stationing of a multi-national stabilizing force, which complies with the desire of Israel. And in accordance with the US-French draft resolution, the cessation of hostilities will be supervised and executed by the exiting UN Peace-keeping force even if Lebanon and Israel are now able to end their hostilities.

During this period, it will be possible for the UN Security Council again to take much time to deliberate for approval of a second resolution, namely, one on the composition and scope of authority of the multi-national stabilizing force and a long-term ceasefire plan. So it seems that the abyss of war sufferings by Lebanese and Israeli nationals will not come to an end immediately along with the birth of this draft resolution.

By People's Daily Online>