French President Jacques Chirac said on Wednesday he believed US objections to a draft UN resolution on Lebanon amended at the Arab world's request could be overcome, despite Washington's "reservations".
French diplomats have handed their US colleagues proposed revisions to a French and US-backed United Nations resolution to end Israel's 28 day-old war in Lebanon. The Lebanese government, supported by the Arab League, rejected the original text which called for full cessation of hostilities but which did not demand an immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from the country.
"It does seem that there is an American reservation about adopting this draft," Chirac told reporters after a meeting with members of his cabinet in the south of France.
"I can't imagine that there would be no solution because that would mean, which would be the most immoral result, that we accept the current situation and that we abandon an immediate cease-fire," he said. "I can't imagine that of the Americans or anyone else."
Diplomats continue to work on revisions to the UN draft resolution and Chirac said it was normal that the views of all parties to the conflict should be taken into account. Around 1,000 Lebanese and more than 100 Israelis have been killed in four weeks of fighting, sparked when Hizbollah seized two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12.
Chirac said the original French and US-backed draft was a "working base" and France had requested that it incorporate "a certain number" of proposals put forward by the Arab League.
"If we don't manage it, there will obviously be a debate in the Security Council and everyone will present their position clearly, including of course France with its own resolution," he said. A vote on the resolution may not take place before Thursday as diplomatic wrangling continues.
Israel was also considering whether to push its troops further into Lebanon to try to destroy Hizbollah infrastructure and curb the group's rocket attacks on Israeli towns.
YET TO DECIDE ON TROOPS: Lebanon has proposed sending 15,000 of its own troops to establish state authority over southern Lebanon, the area bordering Israel that has been under the virtual control of the militant Hizbollah group.
The Lebanese army could be supported by a strengthened UN force to which France would be expected to make a significant contribution.
Chirac said an Israeli withdrawal of troops from Lebanon "can only be progressive".
While that happened, territories Israel had withdrawn from would have to be taken over by the Lebanese army, he said, adding: "There is a time problem, which needs to be addressed."
France had yet to decide how many troops it would contribute to a multinational force in south Lebanon, which would receive a mandate under a second UN Security Council resolution. "France will decide on its participation in this force based on the mandate that it will be given, based on the fair distribution of contingents among countries that will contribute to it," Chirac said.
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