Wednesday, August 9 2006 12:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: The US and France are holding talks to amend a UN Security Council resolution on the Middle East conflict after an Arab League delegation warned that any resolution not demanding withdrawal of Israel would be unenforceable and worsen the crisis.

The delegation, which came direct from Arab foreign ministers meet in Beirut, particularly objected to the French-US draft not calling for withdrawal of Israel from the areas they have occupied since the deadly conflict began almost four weeks ago.

Warning that any resolution not demanding withdrawal of Israel would be unenforceable, they also stressed that it must take into account the Lebanese offer to send 15,000 troops to secure southern part of the country as Israelis withdraw and strengthen the current UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) rather than create a new UN mandated force.

The opposition to the new force is so strong that when a reporter asked what was wrong with a NATO-led force, a senior Arab diplomat shot back, "Let Israel have it on its side." The Arab delegation would continue negotiations with the Council members, especially the permanent five, to sort out the issues. But it is still unclear when the new resolution would be ready and brought before the Council.

Russia, which has so far kept low profile, suggested that if the Council is unable to agree on the language of the wider ceasefire resolution, it should call emergency 'humanitarian ceasefire' to help almost a million people who have been displaced from their homes.