Blockade Slowly Evaporating
It seems that the Israeli blockade is slowly evaporating as the first airline landed in Rafik Hariri International Airport on Monday without flying via Amman for security checks and that a commercial shipment from China delivered gantry cranes to Beirut Port on Tuesday (pictured above). The airline, a Qatar Airways flight, was the first to land in Beirut non-stop from Doha since the IAF bombed the country's only international runways and was carrying some 140 passengers on board. On the other hand, the commercial shipment brought in brand new gantry cranes to help alleviate the growing contrainer traffic at Beirut Port (at least before the hostilities). The appeasment to the blockade was confirmed Tuesday by Annan who stated that it should be lifted within 48 hours. However, Israel said that it will do so when it was sure Beirut was enforcing an arms embargo against Hizbullah. Lebanese officials responded that it has decided to ask UNIFIL to help the Lebanese navy patrol the country's territorial waters and monitor the Beirut airport only after Israel ends its air and sea blockade.
Well to me it still sounds like a whole lot of a mess. Just lift the blockade, there will be no arms shipments coming via sea or air either from Europe or the GCC. And UNIFIL will guarantee the arms embargo in Lebanon.
posted by beirutlive at 2:49 PM
4 Comments:
"Just lift the blockade, there will be no arms shipments coming via sea or air either from Europe or the GCC. And UNIFIL will guarantee the arms embargo in Lebanon."
And how do we know that UNIFIL is willing (not to mention able) to do this, mrtez?
Formally, Annan was quite clear on the subject - UNIFIL will not cover the Syria/Lebanon border, and so far there is no arrangement to patrol the waterways.
On the other hand, there are lots of sources claiming that Hezbollah is doing everything to refill its stocks...
DOWN with the FEQUING blockade!
yes, it is a whole lot of mess, but at least efforts are being made to work towards progress. it's reassuring to hear that it's a concerted effort (by some) and not being tasked only to lebanon. it's a step in the right direction and will hopefully alleviate much of the humanitarian burden that the country is bearing at the expense of political policy.
Well, Israel is finally set to announce the end of the blockade on Lebanon... how magnanimous of them.
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