LEBANON: Lebanese PM Siniora calls on Israel to comply with resolution 1701 and withdraw its troops from Lebanon

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora visited the seaside town of Sidon on Tuesday (August 22) to offer his condolences to South Lebanon and Mohammed jalal Al-din (pronounce jalall-al-deen) the Grand Mufti of Sidon who lost his wife Zaina to illness. Siniora's visit was the occasion to ask Israel to withdraw from South Lebanon as soon as possible. "I really don't find it strange that the Israelis continue to make skirmishes and attacks here and there. So this is similar to what they did a few days ago in the Bekaa area. So they are making the same thing in one way or another. I think the best thing for them is to comply with the resolution 1701, and to expedite the process of withdrawing as soon as possible," Siniora said, after meeting the Grand Mufti. Al Arabiya television had reported on Monday night (August 21) that three Hizbollah fighters were killed in a clash and four Israeli soldiers were wounded. But Hizbollah denied any of its fighters had been killed and the Israeli army said none of its troops were wounded, adding that there had been no exchange of fire; shots were fired only by Israel. The U.N.-backed truce was also jolted by an Israeli commando raid in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Saturday (August 19), which the U.N. deemed a ceasefire violation. Israel says Saturday's raid was a defensive action and, as such, does not constitute a breach of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701, which brought the war to an end. The United Nations said it was also concerned by six Israeli violations of Lebanese air space in the past two days. The Lebanese army has deployed along the Syrian border and has moved deep into the shattered south, but Israel troops are still present inside Lebanon - some two to two and half kilometres along the border. Israel said its troops will not pull out fully until extra U.N. forces arrive, saying it need to keep a close watch on its border with Syria in a bid to prevent Hizbollah from rearming. Siniora hoped international troops would arrive as soon as possible. "I am in constant contact with Mr. Prodi, and yesterday I talked to him, he was very happy with the resolution that was taken by the Lebanese Council of Ministers and they are going to really move as soon as possible, in coordination with the Secretary General. So, I mean... Regarding the leadership, I think this is definitely up to the Secretary General to deal with it," Siniora commented. Italy has offered to lead a 15,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon and has so far made the biggest commitment of up to 3,000 troops. European Union foreign ministers will discuss possible troop contributions to the international force at an emergency meeting on Friday (August 25). U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan would attend the talks in Brussels requested by Italy. Rome said it saw an overall European contingent of up to 8,000 troops. But France, once seen as a major contributor, has downgraded its offer to just 200 soldiers and other nations are wary about what the mission will entail. Asked if he would work with Hizbollah to rebuild the South of the country, Siniora said "this is the Lebanese government with all the Lebanese are going to do that job. And there is a lot of effort that are going to be presented by all the.. let's say, the Lebanese in the South, the Lebanese in Lebanon and the Lebanese outside Lebanon... This is a really national duty to help Lebanon to rebuild itself, and I think, and not only I think, I really strongly believe we are going to succeed." Nearly 1,200 people in Lebanon and 157 Israelis were killed during the war that erupted after Hizbollah guerrillas captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12.

ITN Source | August 23, 2006

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