[Marcus Marulus]

President Halonen on al-Jazeera: Outside intervention no solution to Mideast crisis


Helsingin Sanomat



President Tarja Halonen does not believe that the crisis between Lebanon and Israel can be solved by a NATO or European Union intervention while the fighting is going on, the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE reports.


In an interview with the Arabic-language television channel al-Jazeera, Halonen said that the parties to the conflict should agree on a cease fire and a political plan before international forces can be deployed in the area.

She also called on the United Nations Security Council to take action to solve the crisis in the Middle East. She feels that Security Council resolutions would bring progress toward peace.


In the one-hour interview programme Halonen explained the Mideast policy of both Finland and the European Union. She emphasised that the EU is not on the side of either Israel or Hezbollah; it simply wants an end to the violence.

On Wednesday, the Security Council postponed a meeting aimed at discussing the establishment of an international force in Lebanon.


Talks had been planned for Thursday, but a UN spokesman said that the aim now is to start such discussions only when progress has been made in resolving the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.


Disagreements between France and the United States have postponed the meeting twice already.

[source]