Tightrope

The New York Times has an article that details some of the highwire acts that went into producing a ceasefire resolution. It is somewhat enlightening to see who took what positions during the negotiations.

Negotiators here and in Paris, Washington, Beirut, Jerusalem and Arab capitals were still fighting over central elements of a draft resolution to halt the combat.

The fact that a resolution was passed unanimously that night still amazes some of the participants.

“This is the most difficult crisis that I have had to handle since 2002, when I became diplomatic counselor for the president,” said Maurice Gourdeault-Montagne, an adviser to President Jacques Chirac of France, who was a principal contact in Paris as the Franco-American diplomacy moved in and out of agreement.

R. Nicholas Burns, under secretary of state for political affairs, a driving force on the American side, said, “We were banging our heads against the wall six or seven hours a day, working out the words of these resolutions among four or five capitals.” He added, “We’d go home at 10 or 11 at night and say, ‘Tomorrow will be a better day.’ But the next day was Groundhog Day all over again.”

A senior administration official said a crucial moment came when Ms. Rice decided to intervene personally in New York.

“Condi sat in her office Thursday night,” he said. “In a very clear moment, she decided to go to New York and just force this through by going there and sitting there until it got done.”

That official, like many of those who spoke for this article, did so under restrictions imposed by superiors barring talking to reporters on the record.

The week of diplomacy began last Saturday, when France and the United States announced they had agreed on a resolution that would halt the fighting, ask the current United Nations force, Unifil, to monitor the border, and lay out a plan for a permanent cease-fire and political settlement.

The Times paints this more as a Hezbollah victory than anything else. It may well be one diplomatically, just because the standards are so low for declaring victory in the Arab world. However, it remains to be seen exactly what if anything of real value has been accomplished at this point.

Other Links to this Post

1. Flopping Aces » Blog Archive » Shocker! Cease Fire Isn’t Working! — August 14, 2006 @ 12:15 pm