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Last update - 09:48 20/08/2007
UN peacekeepers in Lebanon unlikely to get greater authority
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent

UNIFIL troops in Lebanon are unlikely to be granted more authority as part of the extension of their mandate by the UN Security Council later this month, Foreign Ministry Director General Aharon Abramovich said in a briefing to the cabinet Sunday.

A senior government official said that Israel "gave up in advance" on its intention to ask for an "upgrade" of the mandate after realizing that it would not have the support of the United States and France.

UNIFIL's mandate expires on August 31. The Security Council will hold a vote on the extension of the force's term in the next several days. Last week, Foreign Ministry officials and members of Israel's delegation to the UN held talks with the U.S. and French ambassadors to the organization over the issue.

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Even before the discussions began, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora sent a memo to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon asking that the terms of the mandate not be changed. Israeli officials gave up and announced their decision to support Siniora's request.

A senior Jerusalem official added that the states contributing soldiers to UNIFIL oppose any expansion of the mandate and are particularly eager not to deploy near the Syrian border.

"They're afraid their soldiers will be hurt by the Syrians," the official said. He noted, however, that German officers have been cooperating with Lebanese security forces to prevent border smuggling and are providing them with guidance and advanced equipment toward that end.
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  1.   ANOTHER UN failure if Hesbala takes over Lebanon by force. 06:39  |  PETER SM 20/08/07
  2.   Upgrade Mandate What??? 07:42  |  Wally 20/08/07
  3.   MORE AUTHORITY, MORE VULNERABLE 08:37  |  indrajaya 20/08/07
  4.   Something that every UNIFIL member should know 08:42  |  Natallie Durson 20/08/07
  5.   Accept what you were given, Israel 09:05  |  Clickfool 20/08/07
  6.   NDURSON.suicide bomber killed UNICEF soldiers recently. 09:07  |  PETER SM 20/08/07
  7.   SIX ATTACKS BY ISRAELIS 09:12  |  indrajaya 20/08/07
  8.   WALLY(D).Israel withdrew from SLebanon in good faith& Arab 09:14  |  PETER SM 20/08/07
  9.   Clickfool and morality 09:18  |  Hannah 20/08/07
  10.   indrajaya.describe the "attacks" on UNIFIL in S Lebanon by Israel 09:50  |  PETER SM 20/08/07
  11.   For Hannah # 9 10:13  |  Clickfool 20/08/07
  12.   For Peter SM # 8 10:17  |  Clickfool 20/08/07
  13.   # 10, PETER SM 10:22  |  indrajaya 20/08/07
  14.   #4 ANOTHER BLATANT DURSON LIE 10:24  |  paul harris 20/08/07
  15.   Wally you really are a Wally 10:38  |  Jasmine Murphy 20/08/07
  16.   #7 Indrajaya 10:42  |  Jasmine Murphy 20/08/07
  17.   Clickfool such perception! 10:49  |  Jasmine Murphy 20/08/07
  18.   to Peter SM 10:52  |  Wally 20/08/07
  19.   to #11 Clickfools response to Hannah 10:59  |  Lavy 20/08/07
  20.   Paul Harris, you`re useless 11:04  |  Maral 20/08/07
  21.   The big Bully 11:11  |  Fadhil 20/08/07
  22.   to #12 clickidiotfool 11:13  |  Lavy 20/08/07
  23.   For Jasmine Murphy # 17 11:33  |  Clickfool 20/08/07
  24.   WALLY overflights entitle Hesbala to kill Israelis? 11:45  |  PETER SM 20/08/07
  25.   To #22 Lavy 11:48  |  mona 20/08/07
  26.   CFOOL.Israel left because it didn`t handle S. Lebanon Arab style 12:03  |  PETER SM 20/08/07
  27.   Clickfool: my daddy is stronger than yours? 12:39  |  Jasmine Murphy 20/08/07
  28.   No body to prrotect the jews! 13:05  |  Shemo 20/08/07
  29.   # 6 PETER SM 13:18  |  Natallie Durson 20/08/07
  30.   #25 Don`t MAKE ME LAUGH 13:26  |  JIN FEIGENBAUM 20/08/07
  31.   Peter SM: if Israel had been an Arab army 13:26  |  Jasmine Murphy 20/08/07
  32.   Paul Harris 13:30  |  Burkhardt 20/08/07
  33.   21 IF there was a "next time" 13:40  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 20/08/07
  34.   #32 BURKE HA SFORGOTTEN THE END OF THE MIGHTY WEHRMACHT 14:03  |  paul harris 20/08/07
  35.   32 Burkhardt 14:14  |  Jy praat twak 20/08/07
  36.   Peter SM, Overflights Were a Result? 14:33  |  Bernie 20/08/07
  37.   They are All Homicidal Bombings Hannah 14:36  |  Bernie 20/08/07
  38.   Jasmine, You are a Racist 14:39  |  Bernie 20/08/07
  39.   NDURSON wrong again Arab killing of UNIFIL so they butt out 14:45  |  PETER SM 20/08/07
  40.   #7 Indrajaya; PUT UP OR SHUT UP! 14:58  |  Murray of Montreal 20/08/07
  41.   #34, Jy praat twak 14:59  |  Burkhardt 20/08/07
  42.   UN peacekeepers 15:07  |  Cyasher 20/08/07
  43.   Click 23....thinking Hezzbolah as heroes? 15:13  |  The Equalizer 20/08/07
  44.   BERNIE@36The Lebanese army were their legitimate defenders 15:13  |  PETER SM 20/08/07
  45.   #23 Clickfool is chest thumping again. 15:22  |  John Allen 20/08/07
  46.   Israel is delusional 15:25  |  Samuel Smith 20/08/07
  47.   #38 Bernie; Jasmine, a racist because she tells the truth 15:25  |  Murray of Montreal 20/08/07
  48.   #4 & 6 natalie loves regurgitating old FALSE news 15:26  |  CK Tan 20/08/07
  49.   BURKHARDT ever the apologist&spin doctor 15:35  |  PETER SM 20/08/07
  50.   un Peacekeepers 16:04  |  Del 20/08/07
  51.   #34, Paul Harris 16:05  |  Burkhardt 20/08/07
  52.   Hezbollah perfume 16:07  |  Mickey 20/08/07
  53.   Bernie 16:09  |  Jasmine Murphy 20/08/07
  54.   DID LEBANON ABIDE BY THE TERMS OF THE CEASE FIRE? NO 16:13  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 20/08/07
  55.   # 32 16:29  |  Burkhardt 20/08/07
  56.   #36 bernie - overflights are NOT part of the ceasefire conditions 16:36  |  CK Tan 20/08/07
  57.   #36 bernie - suffering from SELECTIVE amnesia ??? 16:37  |  CK Tan 20/08/07
  58.   What a change 16:45  |  Mark Lincoln 20/08/07
  59.   # 38 Bernie 16:50  |  17 20/08/07
  60.   Unifil and Hezbollah 18:34  |  Moe 20/08/07
  61.   #4 & 29 natalie loves regurgitating old FALSE news 18:39  |  CK Tan 20/08/07
  62.   CK Tan, What is the Blue Line? 19:01  |  Bernie 20/08/07
  63.   CK, The Point is All Murder is Bad 19:03  |  Bernie 20/08/07
  64.   CK Tan - blaming those in power for terrorist acts 19:04  |  Pablo B 20/08/07
  65.   to Burkhardt#41 19:12  |  Ilya 20/08/07
  66.   # 63 Bernie 19:26  |  17 20/08/07
  67.   CK Tan - Please read section 4 of 1701 19:43  |  Pablo 20/08/07
  68.   Hezbullies the murderers 19:52  |  Jasmine Murphy 20/08/07
  69.   For John Allen # 45 20:00  |  Clickfool 20/08/07
  70.   Pablo B - how dare you ask for evidence 20:11  |  Mark Lincoln 20/08/07
  71.   UNFIL in Zionist Entity (stolen lands) 20:14  |  Imad 20/08/07
  72.   DEATH CULTURE VS VS.LIFE CULTURE 20:16  |  TOBIA 20/08/07
  73.   To Clickfool # 23 20:19  |  Mike 20/08/07
  74.   Bernie vs Ck tAn 20:27  |  Imad 20/08/07
  75.   Imad - brainwashed 21:04  |  Jasmine Murphy 20/08/07
  76.   Weren?t they supposed 21:18  |  KUTW 20/08/07
  77.   fool talk #23 21:35  |  larry from maine 20/08/07
  78.   For Mike in Toronto # 71 21:45  |  Clickfool 20/08/07
  79.   FAKE HANNAH (aka Ms Kohn) ALERT! #9 22:20  |  Hannah 20/08/07
  80.   #75 Jasmine Murphy 22:32  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/08/07
  81.   david 00:01  |  yaniv 21/08/07
  82.   LEBANON AS STABLE AS A WET NOODLE 00:06  |  PalestiniansAreMyth 21/08/07
  83.   Churchill`s wisdom for Slowman 00:59