Visiting Secretary-General of the Arab League (AL) Amr Moussa criticized on
Sunday a draft UN Security Council resolution on Lebanon, saying it did not call
for an immediate ceasefire directly, the official SANA news agency reported.
"The proposal calls for stopping hostile operations and not a ceasefire,"
Moussa said after meeting with Syrian President Basharal-Assad, adding that
"This constitutes a defect in the Security Council which should adopt a clear
position toward military actions."
Assad and Moussa met one day after France and the United States agreed on a
draft UN resolution called for a halt to the violence, and the draft is expected
to be voted by UN Security Council on Monday or Tuesday.
The draft resolution calls for "full cessation of hostilities" by Israel and
Hezbollah in Lebanon which have been involved in a bloody conflict since July
12.
The Lebanese cabinet, however, expressed reservations about the draft, saying
it was inadequate.
Lebanese Parliament speaker Nabih Berri on Sunday said his country refused to
accept the draft resolution, as it did not comply with a seven-point plan put
forward by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora during an international
conference in Rome, Italy on July 26 to resolve the Lebanon-Israel crisis.
The seven-point plan includes an immediate ceasefire, an exchange of
prisoners, putting the Shebaa Farms under the UN control, sending the Lebanese
army into south Lebanon and expanding the UN peacekeeping force.
Meanwhile, Assad and Moussa discussed the continuous Israeli aggression on
Lebanon and means of supporting the Lebanese and an upcoming Arab foreign
ministers meeting which was due to be held in Beirut on Monday, said the report.
Moussa said the meeting was very important because the Arab countries should
adopt a position to support and help Lebanon in its resistance against Israel
under the current dangerous situation.
"The meeting has a clear mission, that is, to support Lebanon's resistance,"
Moussa said.
Moussa will take part in the meeting, which was proposed by Saudi Foreign
Minister Saud al-Faysal, SANA said, adding that the AL chief left Damascus
Sunday afternoon for Jordanian capital Amman where he will fly to Beirut.
Moussa arrived in Syria late Saturday from Saudi Arabia, where he met King
Abdullah and the two discussed the situation in Lebanon and the possible
ceasefire.
The conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah has entered its 26th day
on Sunday, since Hezbollah guerrillas captured two Israeli soldiers and killed
eight during cross-border attacks on July 12.
Some 900 Lebanese have been killed and a quarter of Lebanon's population
displaced since Israel launched a massive assault on Lebanese Hezbollah in
retaliation for the abduction of two Israeli soldiers.