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Last update - 22:20 05/08/2008
UNIFIL: We vow to try to rescue any soldier captured in Lebanon
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, Hezbollah, Lebanon 

The commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Claudio Graziano has distributed among his troops a contingency plan in case an Israel Air Force aircraft is shot down over Lebanon, the Lebanese daily al-Akhbar reported Tuesday.

The report came amid fears that Israeli aircraft would be targeted in southern Lebanon.

According to the Lebanese newspaper, in the event that an Israeli plane is shot down, UNIFIL troops must aim to reach the pilot first, and if the pilot is captured by armed militants, they must rescue him. The plan stipulates, however, that if the pilot is captured by the Lebanese army, nothing is to be done.
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The Al-Akhbar report made top headlines on the Hezbollah television station Al-Manar on Tuesday, where Hezbollah spokesmen sharply criticized the UN peace keeping force.

UNIFIL denied the Al-Akhbar report, but issued a statement saying that it was committed to UN Security Council resolution 1701, which obligates the UN force to do everything in their power to save the lives of foreign soldiers that end up inside Lebanon. The statement added that UNIFIL also pledges to turn any foreign soldier that enters Lebanon over to the Lebanese army.

Resolution 1701 effectively ended a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 by setting out guidelines for both sides, and the UN force, to observe.

Last week, Lebanon's new government completed its guidelines, which stipulate that Hezbollah has the right to fight against Israel to "recover the land occupied by Israel."

While forces within Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora's western-backed coalition demanded that military action to liberate occupied lands be carried out "under the aegis of the state," now the government guidelines state that Hezbollah has what is essentially an independent right to take action.

"Lebanon, its army, its people and its resistance [Hezbollah] have the right to take action to liberate lands that have remained occupied at the Shaba Farms, the hills of Shuba village and the northern portion of the village of Ghajar, with all legitimate means possible, and to resist Israeli aggression."

The new unity government in Lebanon was established after the parliamentary majority succumbed to the demands of the opposition, headed by Hezbollah, to take control of a third of the cabinet positions, effectively granting it veto power over government decisions. The new cabinet has 30 ministers, with 11 from the opposition.
Only Labor Minister Mohammed Fneish is a member of Hezbollah.

Finalizing the new government guidelines required 14 meetings of the ministerial committee charged with preparing the document.

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      1.   Why? 18:46  |  B 05/08/08
      2.   the Game goes on 19:07  |  paulo2005 05/08/08
      3.   UNIFIL tool of Lebanese Army (aka hezbulah) 19:18  |  Arie 05/08/08
      4.   UNIFIL is to blame 19:28  |  KUTW 05/08/08
      5.   Who says IAF planes will be shot down? UNIFIL should be ready 19:30  |  Ben 05/08/08
      6.   Who says IAF planes will be shot down? UNIFIL should be ready 19:30  |  Ben 05/08/08
      7.   UNIFIL is a USA instrument 19:34  |  James 05/08/08
      8.   UNIFIL has failed, must leave. 19:43  |  Straight Talk 05/08/08
      9.   war will be not `in` leb but *with* leb now 19:44  |  frenz 05/08/08
      10.   Goodbye Lebanon 19:50  |  Soldier of Above 05/08/08
      11.   Hezbollah were the only ones to show some 19:56  |  Kris Lazar 05/08/08
      12.   Why is UNIFIL hiding information to Security Council? 19:56  |  KUTW 05/08/08
      13.   Now Lebanon may be legally panished for H/bolah mischief 19:57  |  17 05/08/08
      14.   UNIFIL not accomplishing resolution 1701 20:08  |  KUTW 05/08/08
      15.   What is UNIFIL doing there? 20:09  |  KUTW 05/08/08
      16.   Why would planes be over Lebanon 20:10  |  NS 05/08/08
      17.   Goodbye IAF planes. They`ll either clear our sky or be shut down 20:17  |  Aounist 05/08/08
      18.   UNIFIL must keep unbiased 20:20  |  Persian observer 05/08/08
      19.   UNIFIL collaboration with Hizbollah 20:28  |  KUTW 05/08/08
      20.   Paulo2005 20:31  |  Walid 05/08/08
      21.   Can the UNO and UNIFIL be trusted ? 20:40  |  Jean Van Daem 05/08/08
      22.   onanist fantasy 20:41  |  frenz 05/08/08
      23.   The real reason UNIFIL is there 20:41  |  Dr D 05/08/08
      24.   I like the scenario 20:46  |  Axel 05/08/08
      25.   How could of UNIFIL.......... 20:48  |  Norman 05/08/08
      26.   The UN, an accomplice in Hezbollah kidnapping 20:58  |  Eylo 05/08/08
      27.   20 Walid re Paulo 21:01  |  KUTW 05/08/08
      28.   Hizbollah slams report on UNIFIL to rescue Israelis 21:05  |  KUTW 05/08/08
      29.   UN a bad joke 21:05  |  Gregor 05/08/08
      30.   UNIFIL`S EUROPEAN GUYS MUST GET A HIDING FOR SUPPORTING ISRAEL 21:06  |  JACKAL 05/08/08
      31.   I don`t think so 21:14  |  Natallie Durson 05/08/08
      32.   UN accomplice in Hezbollah kidnappings (cont.) 21:18  |  Eylo 05/08/08
      33.   Israel should be thankful 21:19  |  Mike 05/08/08
      34.   UN accomplice: removal of evidence (cont) 21:20  |  Eylo 05/08/08
      35.   UN accomplice: removal of evidence (cont.) 21:23  |  Eylo 05/08/08
      36.   Persian Observer - # 18 21:55  |  Michael 05/08/08
      37.   UN, an accomplice.- Annan admission (cont.) 22:10  |  Eylo 05/08/08
      38.   #3 You now prooved to me that you are an ignorant person 22:10  |  antoine 05/08/08
      39.   27Natallie Durson: I dont think so either 22:23  |  KUTW 05/08/08
      40.   You`re uninformed Walid 22:33  |  Michael 05/08/08
      41.   Get the UNIFIL guys some checkerboards 22:36  |  Gilles 05/08/08
      42.   KUTW 22:44  |  Walid 05/08/08
      43.   Unifil is just a cloud 22:59  |  Hapatish 05/08/08
      44.   Terrorists under UN protection 23:23  |  Eylo 05/08/08
      45.   #10 23:23  |  lebanese Christian 05/08/08
      46.   I finally agree with Natalie 23:37  |  Avrum 05/08/08
      47.   UN in Lebanon 23:48  |  Dik 05/08/08
      48.   No Overflights No Issue 00:33  |  Bernie 06/08/08
      49.   What on earth is going on?israel has no business in Lebanon skies 00:34  |  lakshmi 06/08/08
      50.   PROMISES, PROMISES , FROM THE COWARDLY LEFT MARXISTS 00:59  |  JERRY 06/08/08
      51.   Iran owns Lebanon 01:05  |  Great White North 06/08/08
      52.   @13 Response to 17 01:13  |  Mark b. 06/08/08
      53.   UNIFIL strongly denies report that it made deal to protect Israel 01:21  |  Arik Silverman 06/08/08
      54.   Antoine - you should really check the UN news 01:21  |  Arie 06/08/08
      55.   lebanese christian 02:15  |  natan 06/08/08
      56.   Misleading title - Shame on you, Haaretz 02:21  |  Sima 06/08/08
      57.   unifil should instead do contingency planning... 02:23  |  TK 06/08/08
      58.   Israel should host the UNIFIL 03:05  |  Lebanese 06/08/08
      59.   Lebanon makes a GRAVE MISTAKE 03:30  |  Fred 06/08/08
      60.   Its such a Shame to see a Country such as Lebanon 03:42  |  Absolutely Canadain 06/08/08
      61.   Leb war 03:44  |  Sabra 06/08/08
      62.   Mike 33 03:47  |  sabra 06/08/08
      63.   RE: #13 (now lebanon may be legally...) 06:06  |  democrat 06/08/08
      64.   Dun bet your a** on UNIFIL