Britain moots U.N. force for West Bank

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, DEC. 8. In what is described here as a ``bold'' initiative to restore peace in West Asia, Britain has proposed a U.N. observer force to be deployed at potentially trouble spots on the West Bank and Gaza. Britain is said to be working closely with France and some other members of the Security Council to push through the proposal. A draft resolution is to be presented to the Security Council soon, according to media reports here. Details of the proposed force - its composition and mandate - are not being publicised and the idea at this stage, it is stated, is to get the Palestinians and the Israelis to agree to the proposal in principle.

Broadly, the plan calls for a ``neutral'' force acceptable to both the sides so that it has the moral authority to carry out its mandate. The Times quoted a British diplomat to say that the proposal was a response to the criticism that the U.N. was ``not doing enough to stop the violence'' in the region. Commentators say it will not be easy to sell the idea considering that Israel is known to be opposed to U.N. peacekeepers, and if Israel shoots it down the Americans are not likely to press it. At the moment, however, the proposal is understood to have the ``broad backing'' of the U.S., besides Russia and China, according to The Times. The proposed force needs to have more teeth, if it is to be effective, than the European observers who have been in the region for sometime without making an impact. American support will be crucial to its success, the analysts say.

More than 300 lives, mostly Palestinian, have been lost in the continuing violence over the past two months.

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Section  : International
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