Israeli pullout to stop if Lebanon army does not deploy

JERUSALEM, Aug 16 (Reuters) Israel will stop withdrawing from southern Lebanon if the Lebanese army fails to deploy within days, army chief of staff Dan Halutz said today.

''The withdrawal of the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) within 10 days is dependent upon the deployment of the Lebanese army,'' Halutz told parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defence Commitee, according to a spokesman.

''If the Lebanese army does not move down within a number of days to the south ... the way I see it, we must stop our withdrawal,'' Halutz added.

REUTERS MQA KN1731