The nature of the would-be UN Security Council resolution does not look obvious given that to what extent would it be possible to amend the US-French draft resolution to be more balanced and meet some of the Arab and the Lebanese demands? All indicators confirm that time is running out and that the UNSC would finally issue a resolution while the Israelis control the border line inside southern Lebanon and have not reached el Litani River yet. In addition, Israel has neither forced Hezbollah fighters to leave the buffer zone nor has it prevented the firing of Hezbollah rockets into northern Israeli cities.

Despite the relentless efforts exerted by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to convince the Israeli people that the Israeli Defense Forces did not lose the war and that they destroyed part of Hezbollah's military potentials, the Israeli citizen feels that Israel has joined its worst war and the most failure one. With the US insistence on not amending the draft resolution under the pretext of not rewarding Hezbollah for its so-called assault, the proposal presented by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora that Lebanon is ready to deploy forces alongside the borders with Israel has changed the situation in the UNSC.

A hope is mounting that the draft US-French resolution could be amended to refer to the necessity of Israel's withdrawal from the Lebanese territories including Shebaa Farms. Yet, the US still demands that Israel keep forces in Lebanon plus giving it the right to self-defense till the deployment of an international force there.

Worst is the issuing of the resolution as it is now without introducing any amendments under the pretext that the Lebanese demands may be considered in a new UNSC resolution in the coming few weeks. The fighting would, therefore, continue for more weeks to break the steadfastness of Lebanon and dismantle its internal front and rage civil war so that the so-called Washington's vision of spreading non-constructive chaos in the Middle East would continue. The convening of the emergency Arab summit is, therefore, necessary to maintain the Arab security and Lebanon's unity.

Makram Mohamed Ahmed