Israeli Aggressions

“Israel’s” violations continue…(1)

“Lebanon has officially asked the United Nations to investigate a violation by “Israel” involving the waters of the Wazzani river.
The charges involve “Israel’s” illegal “installation of water pumps and pipes to bring water into the occupied territories,” according to the National News Agency.
The government has requested that UNIFIL conduct an investigation on the grounds to confirm the allegations.
Lebanon has also officially complained about “Israeli” violations of Lebanese airspace by overflights in various parts of the country, including the capital. “Israeli” warplanes broke the sound barrier over Beirut on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese border demarcation team inspected an area where the “Israeli” Army reportedly carried out a new violation by digging a ditch in the region of Marjayoun-Metulla on the Lebanese side of the border.
The team examined the area, which is 20 meters long and 50 centimeters deep, recently dug by “Israeli” forces and extending towards Hamames on the border.
Two of the 20 meters were dug on Lebanese territory, while barbed wire was placed along the entire 20-meter length of it.
The area in question went beyond the blue signs placed by the United Nations and Lebanese teams, which appeared distinctly behind it.
An “Israeli” jeep inspected the area on the “Israeli” side of the border, while “Israeli” soldiers in the distance watched through binoculars as the Lebanese team inspected the site on its side of the divide.
A lieutenant colonel with the Lebanese team, who preferred to remain anonymous, refused to comment on the suspected violation, saying only that he would submit his report on the matter to the authorities.

“Israeli” planes break sound barrier over Lebanon for second straight day…(2)

“ “Israeli” warplanes broke the sound barrier in the skies over Lebanon for a second straight day on Tuesday with patrols over the south of the country as well as Beirut, AFP correspondents said.

Three “Israeli” aircrafts overflew the southern port city of Tyre, sparking panic among residents, while other planes patrolled over south Lebanon, where the Jewish state ended its 22-year occupation in May.

Planes also broke the barrier over the capital as “Israel” violated Lebanon's airspace for the fourth time, according to an AFP count, since Lebanese Hizbullah militants captured three “Israeli” soldiers on October 7.

“Israeli” warplanes almost completely stopped flying over the country after the May withdrawal.

Children in Arab Salim trade fear for hope…(3)

For the first time in over 15 years, students at the elementary school in Arab Salim have begun their academic year without fear of indiscriminate shelling from the occupation forces.
On Dec. 16 last year, the school, located at the southern end of the village, was hit by three mortar rounds fired from the nearby Sweida compound manned by the “Israeli”-proxy militia.
At least 18 students were wounded in the shelling, two of them seriously.
Among the returnees is 12-year-old Hussein Harb whose shoulder was permanently damaged as a result of the shelling.
“The “Israeli” war on the South and Lebanon has ended, leaving behind a lot of destruction and thousands of martyrs, wounded and disabled, including me,” Harb said as he pointed to his scars.
“Doctors at British hospitals where I was treated couldn’t repair the damage to my shoulder because of the loss of basic bones,” he added.
On returning to Lebanon, Harb underwent physiotherapy at the center for the Lebanese Society for the Disabled in Nabatieh, but without success.
Harb also complains of kidney problems due to the shrapnel still in his body which, if removed, could be life-threatening.
Nevertheless, he said he was grateful that he and his schoolmates survived the attack and are now back at school, studying without fear and looking to the future with hope.
School principal Afif Noureddine described the difference between this academic year and the past as “similar to the difference between light and dark.”
“We’ve suffered a lot from “Israeli” attacks, which were aimed at the road leading to the school, as well as the classrooms and corridors,” he added.
Noureddine said the school’s priority was to “protect our lives and the lives of our students and teachers in the light of our determination to continue school studies despite the difficulties and the cruel conditions.”
He said many of the students who had abandoned the school had now returned after it became fully operational.

E-mail takes aim at The Daily Star…(4)

An e-mail circulating on the internet is encouraging major international telecommunications companies to “punish” The Daily Star for what it calls “promoting” hacker attacks on “Israeli” and Jewish websites.
The message, also sent to The Daily Star, is addressed to AT&T, Verizon, British Telecom, French Telcom, Tel-mex, and Tel Espana.
The message, written in capital letters, said The Daily Star “should be punished by suspending its ISP and international phone service.”
“If the (Daily Star) gets away with this, fanatics everywhere will turn the www into a battlefield which will ultimately des-troy the web’s reliability for e-commerce,” the message stated.
Over the past 10 days, The Daily Star has published four articles on the Arab-”Israeli” cyb-erwar, beginning with reports of how “Israeli” supporters overloaded and shut down two Hizbullah websites.
Following the articles, Arab internet users attacked “Israeli” sites, downing the “Israeli” government and Foreign Ministry sites, and freezing the “Israeli” Central Bank, the “Israeli” stock exchange, the Knesset, and the prime minister’s websites for several hours.

Syria denounces “Israeli” threats…(5)

“Syria has denounced “Israel” for holding Damascus responsible for Hizbollah activities in southern Lebanon. It accused “Israel” of planning a "dangerous escalation of violence" in the region. The official al-Baath newspaper said while Prime Minister Ehud Barak called for peace, “Israeli” officials escalated their threats against Syria and Lebanon. “Israeli” Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh warned “Israel” will respond swiftly and fiercely to any cross-border attacks in south Lebanon. He said Syria will quote be the address of “Israel’s” response. UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon, along with Hizbollah and Palestinian groups in the region, have been denying “Israeli” allegations of cross-border shooting incidents. 

1-       The Daily Star, 1-11-2000.

2-       AFP, 31-10-2000.

3-       The Daily Star, 1-11-2000.

4-       The Daily Star, 1-11-2000.

5-    Future TV, 31-10-2000.

“Israeli” air force flights over Lebanon violate UN resolution: France…(1)

“ France's ambassador to Lebanon said Wednesday that “Israeli” warplanes' flights over south Lebanon violated UN Resolution 425, under which “Israel” in May ended its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon.

"I believe (the flights are) a violation of Resolution 425 of the Security Council," Ambassador Philippe Lecourtier told reporters after an introductory meeting with Lebanon's new foreign minister, Mahmoud Hammoud.

“Israeli” warplanes flew over south Lebanon for the second straight day Wednesday and broke the sound barrier over the eastern Beqaa Valley, controlled by Syria.

“Israeli” MK pilotless reconnaissance planes also patrolled at low altitude over the southern Lebanese towns of Marjayoun and Hasbaya.

Beirut filed a complaint Tuesday to the United Nations after “Israeli” planes broke the sound barrier near Beirut and flew over the southern port city of Tyre.

Iran will not stand by if “Israel” attacks Syria or Lebanon: Palestinian…(2)

“Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Prime Minister Rafik Hariri are at this hour holding talks in the Baabda presidential palace. They are expected to discuss regional developments following Hariri's meetings in Damascus with President Bashar al-Assad and other senior officials. Hariri and Assad had discussed “Israeli” threats against both countries and “Israeli”-Palestinian fighting in the occupied territories. “Israeli” Deputy (War) Minister Ephraim Sneh had held Damascus directly responsible for Hizbollah military activities and warned “Israel” will respond fiercely to any cross-border attacks from south Lebanon. Tensions have been high in the south since Hizbollah resistance fighters captured three “Israeli” soldiers from the occupied Shebaa Farms and an “Israeli” army colonel on a spying mission in Beirut last month. “Israeli” threats against Beirut and Damascus also topped talks in Damascus between Assad and Iranian Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Sadr. The envoy who arrives in Beirut tomorrow, reportedly carries a message of support from Tehran and pledges to counter any “Israeli” attacks on Syria and Lebanon. Palestinian opposition leaders who met Sadr in Syria said the Iranian official informed Damascus Tehran will react if “Israel” attacks Syria or Lebanon. 

1-     AFP, 1-11-2000.

2-     Future TV, 1-11-2000.

Lahoud calls UN bluff over violations on “Israeli” border…(1)

President Emile Lahoud responded Thursday to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s interim report on UNIFIL by instructing the Foreign Ministry to detail “Israeli” violations of Resolution 425.
Lahoud asked the ministry to notify Lebanon’s ambassador to the United Nations, Salim Tadmori, to compile the list.
The violations include “Israeli” warplanes entering Lebanese airspace and breaking the sound barrier, especially over Beirut.  The president said he considered the continued “Israeli” violations a threat to stability in the South, which may result in repercussions for which “Israel” would be held responsible.
Prime Minister-designate Rafik Hariri also rejected Annan’s report, which urged the government to take “effective control” of the entire South to prevent “dangerous provocations” along the frontier.
Speaking in Parliament, Hariri called the situation in the South “stable, but vulnerable, because “Israel” rejects peace … What will resolve the problem is a comprehensive and permanent peace in the region.” He added: “This peace will be achieved only through an “Israeli” withdrawal from the South and the Golan Heights and the establishment of a Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital.”
Hariri reiterated Beirut’s stand that “Israel” is still occupying a strip of Lebanese territory ­ the disputed Shibaa Farms.
Diplomatic sources said an official reply would be sent to Annan reaffirming Lebanon’s stand, along the positions voiced by Hariri.
The sources played down the border dangers that Annan warned about in his report Wednesday, noting that the authorities have banned demonstrations and stone-throwing at the border. “However, we must be cautious and at the same time abide by the responsibility of liberation and freeing prisoners in “Israeli” jails,” one source said.
Sources noted that Annan’s report did not mention reducing or terminating UNIFIL, as was requested by US, British, and French UN delegates.

“Israelis” to annex occupied village
New security fence would completely isolate Ghajar from rest of country…(2)

“Israel” intends to construct a new security fence on Lebanese soil and annex the Lebanese-Syrian village of Ghajar, a move which would violate the United Nations-delineated Blue Line.
According to “Israel’s” Haaretz newspaper, the “Israeli” Army believes it has no choice but to build the new fence due to concerns of renewed fighting in the area.
The plan was denounced by Hizbullah and has drawn opposition from UNIFIL.
“This would be a very dangerous step, which would serve as an excuse for activity against “Israel”,” UNIFIL spokesman Timor Goksel was quoted as saying. “It will cause trouble.”
The Alawite village of Ghajar is split by the UN-delineated Blue Line, with two-thirds falling on Lebanese territory and the remainder in “Israeli”-occupied Syria. The arrangement allows for “Israeli” troops to patrol the southern, Syrian, end of the village but they are forbidden from entering the northern two-thirds.
During the occupation of the South, the “Israelis” ran a security fence from just above the northern end of the village due east to the Mount Hermon foothills. The fence, which is still in place, is around 500 meters north of the Blue Line at Ghajar. The Blue Line runs northeast from where it bisects Ghajar and crosses the path of the security fence about 2 kilometers east of the village.
The only access point into the pocket of Lebanese territory contained within the triangle of Ghajar, the security fence and the Blue Line are blocked by an Indian UNIFIL position at the Abbassieh gate.
When the Blue Line was demarcated in June and July, Ghajar residents feared that their village would be physically divided by a fence. After numerous protests from the residents, the “Israelis” agreed to keep the two parts of the village open. The Lebanese government, acknowledging the local sensitivities, tacitly accepted the compromise and has not insisted on the state apparatus entering Lebanese Ghajar.
A UNIFIL officer said that the “Israelis” have harbored plans for some months to build a new fence which would isolate the whole of Ghajar from Lebanon.
It is believed that the “Israelis” intend to build the new fence along the Blue Line where it traces a northeast path from Ghajar with a 500-meter stretch running up the eastern flank of Lebanese Ghajar until it reaches the original security fence. In effect, the move would completely isolate the whole of Ghajar from Lebanon.
The UNIFIL officer said that the “Israelis” originally asked the UN to negotiate with Lebanon and Syria to allow the residents of Ghajar access to their fields north of the Blue Line via a gate in the proposed new fence.
“We told the “Israelis” that they could ask the Lebanese and Syrians themselves,” the officer said.
“Israel” later decided to shelve the plan.
However, the “Israeli” Army has now resurrected the scheme and intends to begin construction within the next two weeks.
“There is no choice,” a senior “Israeli” defense (war) official told Haaretz. “There must be a fence there; it is a very lawless and problematic region.”
Hizbullah said that constructing a new fence on Lebanese soil was part of the “continued “Israeli” violations of Lebanon by sea, air and land.”
“This is a clear violation of the international decisions and agreements that state this village must remain open and the border unblocked,” a Hizbullah statement said.
“We are watching, and will continue to watch, closely what is happening specifically at this border point and will take the appropriate action in due time,” the statement warned.
Hizbullah also called on the UN “to play its role and prevent “Israel” from carrying out such violations”.
According to Haaretz, an agreement has been reached between the “Israeli” government and the residents of Ghajar in which owners of farmland cut off by the new fence would receive compensation.
UNIFIL has warned the “Israeli” Army that the building of a new fence on Lebanese soil is certain to exacerbate tensions along the border.

1-     The Daily Star, 3-11-2000.

2-     Same source.

Lebanon asks UN to record “Israeli” violations…(1)

Lebanon asked its representative in the United Nations to hand in to Secretary-General Kofi Annan a report on “Israeli” violations of the Lebanese border line, airspace, and regional waters.

The report indicated that “Israeli” warplanes violated Lebanese airspace during the month of October, and also flew over Lebanese territory four times on November 1 and 2. Lebanon maintained in its report that such activities are clear violations of UN resolution 425.

1-     Manar TV, 4-11-2000.

“Israelis” flex muscles as helicopters invade South…(1)

”“Israeli” helicopter gunships reportedly landed in the central sector of the former occupation zone early on Monday, amid heavy air activity over the South, prompting President Emile Lahoud to describe the overflights as an “act of war.”
Two helicopters reportedly touched down for a few minutes beside the village of Qantara, in what a UNIFIL officer suggested was a possible rehearsal for a military operation.
A statement from Baabda Palace said that from 12.05am to 12.45am Monday, five “Israeli” gunships flew over Qana, Rishkananieh, Meshref Farm, Aitanit, Jouwaya and Tibnine, all villages north of the western sector of the former occupation zone. Helicopters also overflew Kfar Dounine and Bourj Qalawieh, both west of the central sector of the former zone, as well as Beaufort Castle and Taibe inside the former zone.
At 12.26am, two helicopters landed beside the village of Qantara in the central sector and remained there for several minutes before departing.
Lahoud said that the overflights were “an assault on Lebanese airspace … an act of war and a military aggression against Lebanon.”
The president instructed Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud to notify UNIFIL and lodge a complaint against “Israel” with the United Nations, the statement added.
Hammoud announced later on Monday that he filed a complaint about the incident to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Hammoud said he asked Annan to submit the complaint to the Security Council.
Rolf Knutsson, Annan’s personal representative for Southern Lebanon, urged an immediate end to violations of the Blue Line and stated “increased concern on the continuing violations of this nature.”
“It’s essential that all such violations come to an end without further delay, as well as any other violations of the Blue Line, in conformity with the understandings of both governments concerned,” he said.
UNIFIL sources could neither confirm nor deny that helicopters had landed in Qantara but noted that they were flying very low over the village. UNIFIL protested the action to “Israel”.
A UNIFIL officer said that “Israeli” helicopters have been regularly flying over the central and western sectors of the South since Hizbullah captured three soldiers on the border on Oct. 7.
“The flights consisting of between two and six helicopters began Oct. 9 and have continued ever since, not every night but at least once a week,” the officer said, adding that the previous overflight occurred on Oct. 26.
“They sometimes spend up to three hours in Lebanese airspace,” the officer added.
He said that the flights tended to concentrate on the area between Bint Jbeil, Aitaroun and Blida near the border.
Security sources admit being puzzled as to why the “Israelis” are flying over Lebanese territory. Reconnaissance patrols are conducted by high-flying aircraft and pilotless observation planes rather than helicopters.
The UNIFIL officer suggested that the overflights could be a rehearsal for a military operation inside Lebanon.
Although Hizbullah fighters abandoned their observation posts on the border immediately after the three “Israeli” soldiers were captured a month ago, they still maintain positions further away from the frontier.
Some former “Israeli” outposts have been taken over by Hizbullah, particularly those close to the border with views into “Israel”. They include the former Blat outpost in the western sector ­ which overlooks an “Israeli” Army compound and the settlement of Zarit ­ and a hilltop outpost southeast of Aitaroun with views toward the settlements of Avivim, Yiron and Alma.
The observation posts provide potential targets for helicopter-borne “Israeli” commandos to kidnap Hizbullah fighters in reprisal for the capture of the three soldiers.
Both Sheikh Abdel-Karim Obeid and Mustafa Dirani, two resistance leaders being held in “Israeli” jails, were captured in similar commando operations.
But a senior security source played down the significance of the overflights, describing them as “muscle-flexing.”
“The “Israelis” are just showing everybody who’s the boss and that they can fly over Lebanese territory at will,” the source said.
The “Israeli” Army in recent weeks has talked up the threat posed by groups in Lebanon, Hizbullah and the Palestinians in particular. The “Israeli” Army has repeatedly warned that cross-border attacks from Lebanon are imminent and has reinforced its positions along the frontier and placed settlements in northern “Israel” on alert.
The saber-rattling may have as much to do with eliciting further funds from the “Israeli” Finance Ministry as with genuine concerns over stability along the Lebanon-”Israel” border.
The “Israeli” military is attempting to extract a further $182 million from the government’s budget. The “Israeli” Finance Ministry argues that the extra funds are unnecessary as savings from the troop withdrawal from Lebanon in May will make up the difference.

1-       The Daily Star, 7-11-2000.

“Israeli” jets shake Beirut with supersonic booms…(1)

“ “Israeli” warplanes broke the sound barrier Tuesday over Beirut for the second consecutive day and flew at low altitude over a southern Lebanese city, AFP correspondents said.

The fighter-bombers provoked two loud supersonic booms over the capital, they said.

The jets had earlier swooped at very low altitude over the southern port city of Tyre, causing panic among residents, they said.

Tension has prevailed in the area since Monday when two “Israeli” helicopters landed briefly in a village in mysterious circumstances while other gunships overflew 10 other villages.

Lebanon complained to the United Nations over such landing, “Israel’s” first military presence on the country's soil since it ended a 22-year occupation of south Lebanon in May.

On Monday, “Israeli” jets staged mock raids over Tyre and broke the sound barrier over many regions in Lebanon, including the capital during a visit there by Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustapha Miro.

“Israel” had almost completely stopped flying over Lebanon after its May pullout.

Beirut filed a complaint last week to the United Nations over repeated “Israeli” violations of its airspace.

An “Israeli” military spokesman reached by AFP in Al-Quds denied that any “Israeli” warplanes flew over Lebanon on Monday.

The spokesman earlier had seemed to confirm the flights, saying: "“Israeli” planes fly over all sectors it is necessary to fly over to assure the security of “Israel” and its nationals, particularly in light of the kidnapping of three of its soldiers."

1- AFP, 7-11-2000.

LEBANON ON ALERT FOLLOWING "ISRAELI" THREATS(1)

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud said the country has been on alert since "Israeli" warplanes violated its airspace two days ago, and reserves the right to defend its land by any means. Hammoud was speaking on arrival in Qatar for an Organization of the Islamic Conference summit in Doha. The Minister is expected to call on Islamic ministers to support Lebanon's right to defend its territories and press "Israel" to withdraw from the occupied Shebaa Farms. "Israeli" Prime Minister Ehud Barak said Syria and Lebanon will pay a quote high price if Hizbollah carries out attacks against "Israeli" territory. "Israeli" military officials have been accusing the resistance movement of planning a large-scale attack against "Israeli" troops stationed near the border. They also accused Damascus of giving Hizbollah a "green-light" to launch attacks. Top "Israeli" sources said any attack will draw a harsh response that may draw Syria into the conflict. Hizbollah has been warning "Israel" against attacking Lebanon saying the response would be immediate and comprehensive. Tensions have been rising since Hizbollah resistance fighters captured three "Israeli" soldiers from the occupied Shebaa Farms. The resistance wants to swap them for Lebanese and Arab detainees held in the Jewish state. "Israel" did not withdraw from the Shebaa Farms area when it ended its south Lebanon occupation in May. 
 

SOUTH LEBANON VILLAGERS FACE HARSH WINTER(2)

Hanine-a south Lebanon hamlet bordering "Israel". Its residents were forced to evacuate in the late 1970s after vehemently refusing to collaborate with the Jewish state. The remains of the occupation are livid as Palestinian lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi, in a poem about "Israel's" destruction of Palestinian homes, wrote "Have you seen a stone house die?" Hanine's villagers flocked to return to their homes in May after occupation troops withdrew following a twenty-two year occupation. Not to be daunted, they enthusiastically pitched tents, donated by the Iranian Red Crescent, where their homes once stood. Winter is quickly blowing in and these people have vowed not to leave their village a second time. Fayyaz Abbas is having a hard time trying to convince his father and aunt to leave their devastated home in Hanine and return to Beirut for the winter. For them, the idea is unconceivable. [Amina Abbas, Hanine Resident, saying: "Since the liberation we've been living here. We will find firewood and stay warm. Why would we leave? This is our house, our wealth, our land."] Ali Soefan and his sister pitched tents on rubble where their homes once stood. They admit the cold lately has been unbearable. People here are asking where the promised state funds are. Some of them were furious at what they said is the lack of concern for their village. [Um Abdullah Soefan, Hanine Resident, saying: "We found nothing when we returned. The town-you can see it. This us our land-we're not going to leave it again. We won't leave it until we're corpses. When we die someone will bury us here, too. We're ready to sacrifice everything. We sacrificed to liberate it- and we will give up more...Do you think we will leave our land again?] Lebanon has been awaiting long-delayed and promised international aid to reconstruct the zone "Israel" occupied. People gather at Abu Wajih's tent for a midday talk about politics and the old times. His wife and children have given up trying to convince the 66-year-old, who has been declare mayor by villagers, to return to Beirut. [Abu Wajih, Hanine Resident, "When we returned we found the destruction. All our great-grandfathers work-gone...If it rains from above and floods from beneath us, we're staying. We're not leaving no matter what. My great-grandfathers are buried here. Do you think we can leave?] And after it was occupied for more than two decades. They will need more than determination to stay warm throughout the winter.

1 - Future TV 8-11-‏2000.

2 - Same Source

Beirut warns Jewish state to back off…(1)

“Israeli” aircraft have violated Lebanese airspace 123 times this month, while steadfastly ignoring UN calls to halt the breaches.
The announcement was made Thursday by Timor Goksel, spokesman for the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon.
“We have protested in vain to “Israel” several times through UNIFIL liaison officers,” he explained, adding that the outcry was “to no avail.”
Goksel credited Hizbullah with keeping the situation along the “Israeli”-Lebanese border in hand, and said the number of demonstrations there had diminished.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Khalil Hrawi accused “Israel” on Thursday of harboring aggressive intentions toward Lebanon, warning the Jewish state that any aggression would be met with a “harsh response.”
Hrawi was reacting to comments by “Israeli” Prime Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday in which he said Beirut and Damascus would “pay a high price if Hizbullah guerrillas attacked “Israel”.”
“These threats are just further proof of “Israel’s” aggression and a means to try and justify future attacks,” Hrawi said. ““Israel” must stop its aggression against Lebanon and its sovereignty by withdrawing from all Lebanese territories, ending its violations of the Blue Line, and releasing Lebanese detainees.”
President Emile Lahoud told As-Safir newspaper: ““Israel” knows that the basis of its economy is in the north. “Israel” should think very carefully before starting any aggression.”
He said Lebanon would not send its army to the South until a comprehensive peace was reached in the Middle East.
“Any country in a state of war with another one does not send its army and deploy it on the border because the military rules say the army should deploy at the rear lines,” he said. “So we have made a final and non-negotiable decision not to send the army to the South before a just and comprehensive peace is achieved.”

1-       The Daily Star, 10-11-2000.  

Lebanon accuses “Israel” navy of "terrorist piracy"…(1)

“ Lebanon accused “Israel” of "piracy" after its navy tried to force a Lebanese civilian cargo ship to sail to the northern “Israeli” port of Haifa.

"The interception of the cargo ship, the terrorism exercised against its crew and the “Israeli” intimidation shots were acts of terrorist piracy and constitute a violation of territorial waters," said President Emile Lahoud in a statement.

"They are also a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 425," which stipulated “Israel’s” pullout from southern Lebanon and a halt to "military actions" against Lebanon.

Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri said earlier that Lebanon will file a complaint to the United Nations after the “Israeli” navy harassed the ship in Lebanese territorial waters.

"Lebanon will file a complaint with the United Nations to add it to other “Israeli” violations at the borders between the two countries," he said.

"We denounce the continued daily provocations by “Israel” and attempts against Lebanon's sovereignty," Hariri said in a statement.

Hariri "denounced “Israeli” warships for intercepting a Lebanese cargo civilian ship and harassing its crew in territorial waters, off Tyre," a coastal city in southern Lebanon.

"Such practices are part of “Israeli” attempts to provoke tension with Lebanon in order to divert the world's attention from its attacks on the Palestinian people in the occupied territories," he said.

The captain of the vessel Rizkallah, Tanios Rai, 38, told an AFP correspondent in Tyre that an “Israeli” officer spoke to him in Arabic over the radio shortly after midnight (2200 GMT) on Thursday.

Rai said that he was ordered by the officer to sail the ship out of Lebanese territorial waters.

The captain said he tried to protest, but was forced to abide by the order after the officer threatened to open fire.

Rai said two “Israeli” gunboats fired several bursts from machinguns and a dozen flares near the Rizkallah, which could not move because its engine had broken down in the meantime.

The captain and his four-member crew, all of them Lebanese, said they were interrogated over the radio by “Israeli” officers who after six hours gave up trying to force him to sail to the “Israeli” northern port of Haifa.

It was the first such violation since the “Israeli” pullout in May from southern Lebanon after 22 years of occupation during which Lebanese fishermen in the region were frequently harassed.

The “Israeli” air force violated Lebanese airspace 123 times between October 8 and November 8, according to the UN Interim Forces in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose protests a spokesman said had gone unawnswered.

Lebanon has also accused the “Israeli” air force for landing two helicopter gunships in a village in southern Lebanon on the night of November 5-6, considering the incident as an "act of war."

 Ghajar annexation put on hold after UN-US pressure…(2)

“Israel” is reportedly reconsidering a plan to annex the divided village of Ghajar along the eastern border.
Work began just over two weeks ago on a new stretch of road and security fence 1.5 kilometers east of Ghajar, which straddles the UN-delineated Blue Line with two-thirds in Lebanon and the rest in “Israeli”-occupied Syria.
The new fence is supposed to follow the Blue Line across the fields to the east of the village until it reaches the first houses.
The “Israelis” reportedly then plan to run the fence northwards and around the top of “Lebanese” Ghajar, a move which would constitute a violation of the Blue Line.
“Israel” has been warned by UNIFIL that building a fence north of the Blue Line and annexing “Lebanese” territory will only add to the existing tensions along the border.
The UN’s coordinator for south Lebanon, Rolf Knutsson, is planning to meet with the “Israelis” next week to discuss the new fence.
“The “Israelis” are at a bit of a loss at what to do,” a UNIFIL officer said. “They’ve been told that they are playing straight into the hands of those accusing them of continually violating the Blue Line.”
The officer said that the “Israelis” will likely place the scheme on the “backburner.”
Nonetheless, the northern “Lebanese” end of Ghajar has been effectively placed off-limits to civilians and UN personnel by the “Israelis”. UNIFIL sources note that “Israeli” soldiers regularly patrol “Lebanese” Ghajar by vehicle and on foot.
Indian peacekeepers based at Abbassieh, 1.5 kilometers east of Ghajar, are generally able to reach the edge of the village but are unable to enter. Last week, an Indian patrol was harassed by “Israeli” troops and was forced to turn back.
On Friday, “Israeli” soldiers lounging in armored personnel carriers kept guard over a few civilian engineers welding new fence posts along a new 500-meter stretch of track.

1-                  AFP, 10-11-2000.

2-                  The Daily Star, 11-11-2000.

Nasrallah warns “Israelis” to stay home…(1)

Hizbullah’s secretary-general is warning “Israel” against entering Lebanese territory and says that violations “won’t pass without a response.”
“They violate our airspace, they send their helicopters in, and now they want to besiege our territorial waters. All this won’t pass without a response,” Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said during a celebration to commemorate members of the party who dies fighting the occupation ­ the first time such a gathering has been held since the liberation of the South in May.
Nasrallah was referring to two “Israeli” helicopters briefly landing in the village of Qantara in the South last week. Later in the week an “Israeli” gunboat detained a Lebanese tugboat and questioned its civilian crew near Tyre.
Addressing the Lebanese, Nasrallah said: “Don’t allow all these threats to terrorize you. We as Lebanese are used to these “Israeli” threats.”
The Hizbullah leader said “Israeli” threats would not change the party’s right to continue the resistance until the complete liberation of land and release of 19 detainees still in “Israeli” prisons.
“It’s understandable the “Israelis” are worried because they’re aware that we won’t abandon our responsibilities,” he said.
Nasrallah also urged the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Doha to support the intifada and take steps to totally isolate “Israel”, which he said would soon disappear.
“The Qatar summit should decide on a full Arab and Islamic boycott of “Israel” and relaunch the offices advocating a boycott,” he said.  “It should adopt serious measures to help break the ties certain Arab countries continue to maintain with “Israel”, even if they claimed those are limited, because with such an enemy, you can’t keep relations ­ even if they’re just held by a hair. We must again isolate “Israel” in the region and also offer a real support to the Palestinian people in their struggle so that they can pursue the intifada and no one can conspire against them.”
Nasrallah said 2000 had been marked by the collapse of the Zionist philosophy and that soon the state of “Israel” would fall apart as well.

Hizbullah warns “Israel” against continuing "aggression"…(2)

“Hizbullah warned “Israel” Sunday against "continued aggression by air, land or sea" in Lebanon, saying that it would "cost it dear."

"“Israel” knows very well that Lebanon is no longer available for it to come and go as it pleases," Hizbullah's deputy secretary-general Sheikh Nahim Qassem said during a rally at Deir Qanun an-Nahr, near the southern Lebanese town of Tyre.

Qassem referred to increased violations of Lebanese air space and Friday's interception by the “Israeli” navy of a civilian vessel in Lebanese territorial waters.

"It will serve no purpose for “Israel” to claim that these are preventative steps, on the pretext that it fears new operations," said Sheikh Qassem, whose movement spearheaded the struggle which resulted in the May 24 withdrawal of the Jewish state from southern Lebanon after 22 years of occupation.

"There is nothing more for the enemy to do than leave our land, peacefully or through force, as the resistance will continue until all occupied land is freed," he added.

According to the United Nations, “Israel” violated Lebanese airspace 123 times in the month since the October 7 capture by Hizbullah of three “Israeli” soldiers in the Shebaa Farms.

In Al-Quds army chief General Shaul Mofaz repeated Sunday that “Israel” considers Hizbullah reponsible for the welfare of the captured soldiers.

"We consider the Hizbullah, but also Lebanon and Syria, responsible for the health of our soldiers," he told public radio, although he refused to confirm or deny a Lebanese press report that the three soldiers had been "seriously wounded" during their capture.

Despite repeated requests, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has not yet been allowed to visit the Hizbullah's prisoners.

Hizbullah wants to exchange them for Arab detainees in “Israel”, refusing to give any details on the condition of the captives.

Students under fire at border…(3)

“Israeli” soldiers fired warning shots at a group of Jordanian university representatives on a visit to a former border crossing near Kfar Shuba on Sunday.
No one was hurt in the incident, the second in two days at the Hassan Gate south of Kfar Shuba, which leads into the disputed Shebaa Farms district.
The “Israeli” soldiers fired three bursts from a heavy machine- gun, the bullets kicking up stones and dust some 200 meters from the delegation.
One of the 16 members of the delegation, Dr. Mounir Fasha, told reporters on the spot that he had observed during this “reconnaissance visit” that “the UN is incapable of solving the problems of the region and should take more effective steps in that regard.”
Four Jordanians were wounded by rubber-coated bullets fired by “Israeli” troops on June 24 as they were demonstrating at the Fatima Gate in Kfar Kila, prompting an angry response from the Jordanian government, political parties and professional unions. On Friday, an LBCI TV camera crew came under fire at the Hassan Gate.
The 3-meter-high security fence erected by the “Israeli” Army during the occupation rarely conforms to the Blue Line in the Shebaa Farms.
Instead, the fence was built according to the strategic topography of the area. This has resulted in the fence advancing across the line into Lebanese territory in some places and retreating inside “Israeli”-controlled territory in others. The Hassan Gate is an example of the latter, where the gate and fence are about 200 meters on the “Israeli” side of the Blue Line. The Blue Line is not demarcated on the ground at the Hassan Gate.
Following the “Israeli” withdrawal in May, a squad of Hizbullah fighters inadvertently set up a small observation post beside the Hassan Gate on the “Israeli” side of the Blue Line.
The “Israelis” appeared content to allow them to stay there because the fence still provided an effective barrier and was overlooked by an outpost on Jabal Summaq.
But the “Israelis” have tightened security along the Blue Line since three soldiers were captured by Hizbullah on Oct. 7. The “Israeli” Army has informed UNIFIL that it will shoot at any “suspicious movement” along the border.
The warning shots indicate that the “Israeli” Army will no longer tolerate breaches of the Blue Line at the Hassan Gate.
“Israeli” soldiers fired on Lebanese civilians driving a car near the border between the two countries at nightfall, Lebanese police said, without reporting any casualties.
Two bullets went through the rear window without hitting any of the four passengers who were traveling along a road that is rarely used along the border, near Fatima Gata, where anti-”Israeli” protests occur daily.

“Israeli” land mine kills two, wounds two near Jibaa…(4)

Two men were killed and two others wounded on Sunday when a land mine left behind by “Israeli” occupation forces exploded near Jibaa in Iqlim al-Touffah.
The anti-tank mine went off when the driver of a car on the Jibaa-Haitoura road swerved onto the shoulder while trying to overtake a tractor that was widening the road.
The two passengers, Maher Dia, 29, and Mohammed Mahmoudi, 22, were killed instantly in the 1pm explosion.
Driver Qassem Sabah, 30, and the tractor driver, Ali Farhat, 25, were wounded.
Islamic Health Organization personnel ferried the casualties to hospital in Sidon.
Hizbullah fighters detonated a number of other land mines in the area as security forces prevented civilians from approaching the scene.
The road was blocked during the years of occupation, and sown with land mines by the “Israeli” and their South Lebanon Army militia allies. The road was reopened following the “Israeli” withdrawal in May.
Sunday’s incident brought to 11 the total number of people killed in explosions of land mines or abandoned shells since the “Israeli” forces withdrawal. A total of 66 Lebanese have also been wounded in such explosions.
UNIFIL estimates there at least 130,000 mines planted in the South. According to the latest statistics released by UNIFIL, peacekeepers have located and destroyed 1,105 anti-personnel mines, three anti-tank mines, 205 unexploded ordnance and eight booby-trapped devices.

1- the dailys star, 13-11-2000.

2- AFP, 12-11-2000.

3- The Daily Star, 13-11-2000.

4- Same source.

Hariri discusses south Lebanon tension with UN secretary general …(1)

Prime Minister Hariri was quoted as voicing dissatisfaction with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's recent report to the Security Council in which he criticized Beirut for not sending army troops to the border with the Jewish state. Hariri who met Annan twice on the sidelines of the Doha summit reportedly called on the UN chief to press for the release of 19 Lebanese detained by the Jewish state and for “Israel” to withdraw from the occupied Shibaa Farms. Annan described the situation along the Lebanon-”Israel” border as "delicate". “Israel” stepped up violations of the border after Hizbollah captured  three soldiers from Shibaa Farms to swap them for Lebanese and Arabs held in the Jewish state. “Israeli” troops last night fired on civilians driving a car near the border gate of Fatima. No one was hurt. Earlier, “Israeli” soldiers fired explosive bullets near a group of Jordanian students on a visit to the frontier village of Kfar Shouba. Hizbollah warned “Israel” against continued attacks saying it would cost it quote dearly. Hizbollah stressed the resistance will continue to attack “Israeli” troops stationed on occupied Lebanese territory. “Israel” yesterday repeated that it considers Hizbollah, Beirut and Damascus responsible for the welfare of its captured soldiers. “Israeli” army chief of staff Shaul Mofaz refused to confirm or deny press reports that the soldiers had been seriously injured during their capture.

1-  Future TV, 13-11-2000.

“Israeli” warplanes fly over Lebanon, break sound barrier near Syrian station…(1)

“ “Israeli” warplanes flew over much of Lebanon on Tuesday, breaking the sound barrier over Syria's main area of military control in the country, AFP correspondents reported.

“Israeli” planes flew at high altitude near Sidon, 45 kilometers (30 miles) north to Beirut and broke the sound barrier over Baalbeck.

“Israel” has stepped up flights over Lebanon in the past month after Hizbullah captured three “Israeli” soldiers on border patrol in hopes of swapping them for Arabs detained by “Israel”.

The Jewish state almost completely halted such flights when it withdrew from south Lebanon in May, ending a 22-year occupation.

Timour Goksel, a spokesman for UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, said Thursday that “Israeli” aircraft violated Lebanese airspace 123 times between October 8 and November 8 and that the UN has protested to no avail.

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud has denounced the “Israeli” flights as acts of war.

UN troops clear a third of south Lebanon of mines…(2)

“ United Nations specialist troops have cleared of mines almost one third of the area of southern Lebanon formerly occupied by “Israel”, defusing 1,520 explosive devices, a spokesman said Tuesday.

UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) spokesmam Timour Goksel told AFP that Finnish, Swedish and Ukrainian sappers had cleared 251.64 square kilometres (100.65 square miles) of the 850 square kilometre area held by “Israel” for 22 years.

They had defused 1,255 anti-personnel mines, 10 anti-tank mines and 255 unexploded shells in the region, which “Israeli” forces abandoned in May.

Goksel said the sappers were working both off maps of minefields supplied by the “Israelis” and information from various other sources.

The UN estimates that “Israel” left at least 130,000 mines in southern Lebanon.

Since the “Israelis” withdrew 11 Lebanese civilians have been killed and 53 wounded after triggering mines.

1- AFP, 14-11-2000.

2- Same source.

“Israeli” troops wound civilian near border…(1)

“Israeli” troops fired automatic weapons at a civilian on Wednesday, wounding him in the arm as he unloaded construction material from a truck.
Abbas Abu Ghid, 30, was shot as he worked near the village of Addaisseh, near the border with “Israel”. Abu Ghid was taken to hospital in Marjayoun.
The incident occurred at 3.30pm, shortly after the departure of a group of Lebanese who had been throwing stones over the border fence, security sources said.
Abu Ghid told police that he was unloading stones when an “Israeli” military vehicle drove up on the other side of the fence and one of its occupants opened fire.
The spot is opposite the “Israeli” hilltop settlement of Misgav Am and 3 kilometers south of the Fatima Gate border crossing.
Security sources said nervous “Israeli” soldiers mistook the material for stones to be thrown at them by protesters.

1- The Daily Star, 16-11-2000.

‘Global campaign’ targets Lebanon…(1)

The Foreign Ministry criticized “the solid campaign” launched by the international community in which Lebanon is being accused of violating United Nations resolutions, a source at the ministry said on Thursday.
The source was responding to criticism by the United States, Britain and The Netherlands that the government refuses to send the army to the border with “Israel” and is not preventing protesters from throwing stones across the frontier.
The source said Lebanon was not an “island” and is affected by events that happen around it.
“There’s friction in the region, especially confrontations between the “Israelis” and Palestinians, that have repercussions on Lebanon,” the source said.
According to the source, Resolution 425 has not been implemented since “Israel” still occupies the Shibaa Farms, which Lebanon considers its territory, and still detains 19 Lebanese in its prisons.
The source expressed surprise that Lebanon was accused of violating Resolution 425 when Hizbullah captured three “Israeli” soldiers in the Shibaa Farms last month.
“How can they consider the capture of members of the occupying army from our land a violation,” the source asked, “while the continuous “Israeli” air violations ­ in addition to the fact that “Israel” is detaining Lebanese prisoners ­ is considered an innocent act?”

1 - The Daily Star, 17-11-2000.

Sayyed Fadlallah: "Annan's reports encourages “Israel” to carry out aggressions"…(1)

Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah maintained that the Islamic Resistance's operation in Shibaa Farms Thursday against “Israeli” patrols a legitimate resistance operation, which does not contradict U.N resolution 425 because the “Israeli” pullout from Lebanese territories called for by the resolution has not been completed.

During his Friday speech , Sayyed Fadlallah expressed his astonishment towards the the Security Council decision, which calls on Lebanon to secure the border for the enemy instead of demanding the “Israeli” army to withdraw from Shibaa Farms and other still occupied Lebanese soil.

Ayatollah  Fadlallah added that the U.N report will encourage “Israel” to go on with its assaults on Lebanon. He regretted that the UN Secretary-General's decisions and vision of things comply with the American policy.

1- Manar TV, 17-11-2000.

South still not liberated, says Raad…(1)

Deploying the army along the border would be a tacit acceptance that “Israel’s” withdrawal is complete, Nabatieh MP Mohammed Raad said Sunday.
“Deploying the army on the border now will serve “Israel”, not the residents,” Raad said during a commemoration in Nabatieh for two men killed by a landmine last week.
Mohammed Mahmoudi and Maher Dia were killed on the road between Jbaa and Haitoura in Iqlim al-Touffah when an anti-tank mine destroyed their car.
Raad, the Head of Hizbullah’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, maintained that daily requests for the deployment were triggered by “American demands, international pressure and “Israeli” interests.”
He added that it would “confirm “Israel’s” complete withdrawal from Lebanon and pave the way for the separation of the Lebanese and Syrian tracks.”
Raad said “Israel” had refused to withdraw from the Shibaa Farms so that it could continue to interfere in Lebanese affairs.
He expressed “surprise” that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said resistance operations in the Shibaa Farms was a violation of the UN-delineated Blue Line, created to confirm the “Israeli” withdrawal in May.
“The Blue Line is an imaginary line that doesn’t negate
our right to recover our land in every way, including resistance,” Raad said.
Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, vice-president of the Higher Shiite Council said Saturday that resistance operations would continue until the Shibaa Farms are liberated and detainees held in “Israel” released.
Speaking in the village of Haris in the South, the mufti urged the UN to “condemn “Israel” for its continuous occupation of Lebanese territories.”
He also demanded that the UN press “Israel” to execute UN Resolution 425, which calls for the complete withdrawal of “Israeli” troops from Lebanon, instead of “supporting” “Israel’s” aggressive policy.

“Israeli” shots wound Lebanese civilian at border…(2)

“ “Israeli” soldiers shot and wounded a Lebanese civilian in the leg Sunday amid a protest near a religious site on the Lebanese-”Israeli” border, Lebanese police said.

Mohammad Hassan, 30, had been hurling stones with other young men towards an “Israeli” military post, which lies close to the Imam al-Abbad burial ground, said the police.

The tomb sits on the “Israeli”-Lebanese border.

The men were throwing stones at armoured “Israeli” military vehicles, which patrol the hill around Fatima Gate, when a rock hit one of the three vehicles, witnesses said.

Immediately, the soldiers went into pursuit.

Hassan and the others fled carrying posters, which protested the “Israeli” imprisonment of 20 Lebanese without a hearing.

The men had been standing upon a spot that regularily undergoes fire by “Israeli” soldiers and has been transformed into a shrine for pilgrims since the “Israeli” retreat from south Lebanon on May 24 after 22 years of occupation. 

At least 10 Lebanese civilians have been killed and another 40 injured by “Israeli” gunfire on the borderline since “Israel’s” withdrawal from Lebanon.

Seven Villages await their independence
Even those too young ever to have seen their homes can describe them exactly, as well as tell who lived next door…(3)

Warren Singh-Bartlett

Across the zone formerly known as Occupied, Lebanese citizens are free this year to celebrate a double independence: from the French Mandate in 1943 and the “Israeli” occupation in May 2000.
But during the commemoration this Wednesday, spare a thought for those who have little reason to celebrate either event. For the residents of Teir Bikha, Ibl Qamah, Hounine, Malkieh, Nabi Yusha, Kades and Saliha ­ the Seven Villages ­ independence has yet to arrive.
“We’re happy the South has been liberated and we will celebrate with them,” says Moussa Chahrour, whose grandfather Shaker Chahrour was mayor of Hounine. “But now we say it must be our turn to go home.”
Strung along the old 1923 frontier between British Mandate Palestine and French Mandate Lebanon, the Seven Villages, which include more than 25 farms, were annexed to Palestine under the Al-Quds Treaty. No more than a line on a piece of paper, the Sykes-Picot Accord, which established the internationally-recognized frontier between the two colonial mandates, changed nothing for the residents of Jabal Amel, the mountainous region straddling the Lebanese-Palestinian border. At least, not at first.
Initially, the incorporation of Shiite villages into a country with no Shiite population raised few feathers. The Lebanese census of 1933 asked the villagers whether they would like to remain in Palestine or be re-incorporated into Lebanon. Economically speaking, Palestine was a more attractive prospect and as Beirut was much farther away than Haifa, most villagers appeared happy to become Palestinian.
To be fair, the concept of Lebanese or Palestinian meant little to people accustomed to the freedom of movement under Ottoman rule, freedom that continued during the Mandate era. The border was left unfenced out of respect for the centuries-old flow of trade and movement in the region, which meant traveling to Tyre or Sidon to sort out administrative tasks or pay taxes and down to Haifa to buy those little bits and pieces that didn’t quite make their way to the mountain.
Residents were offered Palestinian identity cards but in recognition of complex historical, religious, and geographical ties, they were also allowed to retain their Lebanese identity papers. With no border fence, residents could cross back and forth whenever they liked.
This easy existence came to an end in May 1948 when underground Jewish groups overthrew Palestine and proclaimed the State of “Israel”. Slowly but surely, the residents of the Seven Villages were forced off their lands. By 1949, the Seven Villages had fallen. And suddenly that line on a European map became frighteningly real.
It’s no wonder that these days the question of where the villages belong elicits a more emphatic response. “Our family was Lebanese before the Ottomans, before the French, and before there was even a Lebanon,” says Hajj Abou Fawwaz Hassan Khodroj, who was just 13 when he left his home for the last time.
“I’m Lebanese, and our land is Lebanese, there is no doubt about it.”
This conviction appears to have been shared by successive Lebanese governments. Resi-dents of the Seven Villages, unlike their Palestinian counterparts, were granted Lebanese citizenship in the 1960s and records of the old land deeds still exist in Sidon and Tyre.
The belief that the Seven Villages are Lebanese is even more evident in the younger generation of Houninites, too young to have ever set foot in the village.
“We’re Shiites and we’re Lebanese. Why put our villages in Palestine? There are no Shiites in Palestine,” says 26 year-old Ali Kleit, for whom, like many others, returning to Hounine has become a mission.
“We belong with the other villages in Jabal Amel.”
At the moment, there is not even a glimmer of that happening soon to a place perched strategically on the cliffs above the Galilee Panhandle overlooking the shiny, white Jewish settlements dotting the fertile plain.
Today, Hajj Abou Fawwaz lives in Shiyah in the southern suburbs of Beirut. His single-story house stands in stark contrast to the towering apartment blocks around him. The garden, full of jasmine and shaded by trees, is the closest approximation he can make to the home he last saw in 1948.
“We left slowly, group by group; we did not run from Hounine but we were scared the Jews would come and massacre us,” he says surrounded by his wife and family. “My family went to Markaba but there were still people in the village so we left everything in our house. My parents told us we’d be back after a month.”
Bitter words. Fifty-two years later, his parent’s words have yet to come true. As Jewish guerrilla gangs like Stern and Haganah consolidated their hold on Palestine, they used scare tactics to drive border residents away.
Their methods ­ detentions, kidnappings, and beatings ­ were so effective that, according to organizations like Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch, they are still used by the “Israeli” army today.
As the situation deteriorated, Houninites left in greater numbers, moving temporarily to villages on the Lebanese side of the border. Hajj Abou Haidar, who left Hounine in May 1948 at the age of 17, remembers that for many fellow villagers, the last straw was the kidnapping of three Hounine women, taken as they worked in their fields down on the Galilee plain.
“For a while, we still used to come to the village to pick fruit or check on our neighbors,” he says. “But it got more and more dangerous. The Jews would chase you if they found you. They took many people, some were gone for several weeks.”
Tactics didn’t stop at intimidation. The Haganah and their counterparts were responsible for massacres all over Palestine. Deir Yassine is perhaps the most infamous, but several massacres were perpetrated in the Galilee. The worst was at Saliha in September 1948, when 105 residents were machine-gunned behind the village mosque. Later in October, a further 85 were killed in Houla.
Hounine wasn’t spared. Before the guerrillas set about blowing up the village, destroying homes, farms and the 12th century village mosque, they rounded up the remaining 14 residents, mostly those too old to leave their lands, and shot them in the village square.
With the village gone, Hounine lives on in the minds of its residents and is reborn in the minds of those who listen to the stories they tell. Memories, unlike bricks and mortar, are much harder to destroy.
Even those too young to have seen Hounine can describe the house their family once owned. They know how many acres they planted, who lived next door, how long it took to get to Tyre, even the best place to nap on the way to Markaba. And naturally, they all dream one day of going home, whenever that day might be. It is this persistence of memory, passed down from generation to generation, that may, one day, pose the challenge to “Israel’s” control of the area.
Last November, before prospects of a unilateral “Israeli” pull-out materialized, then-Premier Salim Hoss was quoted as saying that Lebanon “requires the return of the Seven Villages and all the other areas ­ seized from Lebanon before and after 1949 and during the June (1967) war, including the Shibaa farms and the border areas in the qadas of Marjayoun, Bint Jbeil, and Hasbaya.”
Once it became clear that an overall peace settlement was unlikely, the government’s stand on the issue had less immediacy. The worry was that in the absence of a comprehensive deal any demand for the return of the villages, and therefore a redrawing of the 1923 frontier, would lead to attempts by “Israel” to legitimize their occupation.
In an article carried by one news service on Jan. 20, Hoss reported that “Lebanon’s borders are internationally recognized and are not subject to modifications or retracing, under an eventual settlement with “Israel”.”
The only exception, he added would be to take in the Seven Villages “forcibly seized by “Israel” in 1949.”
With the continued occupation of the Shibaa Farms, the violence in the occupied territories, and the deadlock in Syrian-”Israeli” negotiations, the prospect of peace with “Israel” looks dimmer than before. For now, the issue of the Seven Villages is again on the back burner. The villagers may have a long wait until, like their fellow residents of the South, they too have cause to celebrate each Nov. 22.
But waiting is something Houninites do well. Until May, no one had caught a glimpse of their “piece of Heaven on Earth” for 18 years. The last time residents ventured onto what remained of their land was to pick fruit from trees their ancestors had planted. That was in 1982.
Back then, it was possible to get up close to the settlement, even to talk to the new residents. At the time, they were Arab Jews from Yemen. Today, although the red-tiled homes seem close enough to touch, they are even further away than ever, separated from Lebanon by a tall barbed wire fence and border patrols. The orchards have been uprooted and the fields littered with landmines.
Although the situation is still not resolved, residents have begun moving back. Those whose land is still under occupation, and the bulk of Hounine land is on the other side, have been given small plots by fellow villagers. Slowly, New Hounine is rising in sight of the old, its two-story buildings looking right into the Jewish settlement over the fence.
“It’ll be sad to see Hounine and not be able to touch it,” says 14 year-old Mustafa Shbeeb with a shy smile. “But it is my village and even if I never live there, I know my children will.”

1-     The Daily Star, 20-11-2000.

2-     AFP, 19-11-2000.

3-     The Daily Star, 20-11-2000.

“Liberation of Shibaa Farms is imminent": Hizbullah…(1)

Hizbullah has been warning “Israel” against the continued violation of Lebanon's airspace.

Hizbullah's top official in southern Lebanon Sheikh Nabil Qawook warned “Israel” there is only one way to avoid warfare with Lebanon and that is withdrawing from the Shibaa Farms. Qawook said “Israel’s” pullout from the area is imminent, adding some 19 Lebanese detained in the Jewish state will also be released. The US and the UN have been warning of risks of an escalation in the region following Hizbullah's bombing of an “Israeli” military patrol at Tallat Semaqqah in the Shibaa Farms last week. The attack was the first by Hizbullah, which spearheaded the resistance war until “Israel’s” pullout, since the group captured three “Israeli” soldiers in the region last month. Hizbullah wants to swap them for Lebanese and Arab detained by “Israel”. “Israel”, backed by the UN, claims the Shibaa Farms is Syrian territory occupied in 1967. But Beirut and Damascus stress the region belongs to Lebanon and should have been vacated by “Israeli” troops under Security Council resolution 425.

Differences between Lebanon, UN over “Israeli” withdrawal…(2)

“ Lebanon said Monday that the “Israeli” retreat line drawn by the United Nations does not cover the Shibaa Farms, which are still occupied by “Israel” but which Beirut plans to recover "by all means possible."

"The United Nations 'blue line' does not cover the Shibaa Farms. These farms are Lebanese and “Israel” is still occupying them. We have committed ourselves, and remain committed, to work for their liberation," Foreign Minister Mahmud Hammud told the press.

He was speaking after meeting with Rolf Knutsson, the personal representative of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who described Thursday's Hizbullah attack in the area as "a dangerous violation" of the withdrawal line and called on Beirut to take "immediate measures to guarantee respect" of the line.

From its side, Hizbullah said Monday its struggle against “Israel” would continue so long as there are Lebanese held in “Israeli” jails and the Jewish state occupies part of Lebanon's territory and threatens its sovereignty.

Hammud recalled that Beirut had on several occasions warned against "incidents of this kind" if “Israel” remained in the Shibaa Farms area after its May 24 withdrawal from southern Lebanon following 22 years of occupation.

These "farms" are spread over some 20 square kilometres (eight square miles) on the slopes of Mount Hermon, in the border area between Syria, “Israel” and Lebanon.

"All the parties should understand that Lebanon is determined to press for the liberation of its land by all means," he said.

He acknowledged that the UN considered the Hizbullah attack to be a violation of the 'blue line.' "That is the point of view of the UN. We are sticking to our position," he said.

Hammud also said he had asked Knutsson to "raise the issue of “Israeli” violations. The incident that happened in Shibaa can not be compared with the daily “Israeli” aggressions by air, land, and sea," he said.

"It is essential that all violations stop immediately," he said in a statement distributed by the United Nations information centre in Beirut.

Civilian seriously injured by “Israeli” landmine in south Lebanon…(3)

“ A Lebanese agricultural worker was seriously injured Monday by the explosion of an “Israeli” landmine at the periphery of the former “Israeli”-occupied border zone in southern Lebanon, police said.

Said Hassan, 32, was watering a tobacco field when he stepped on the landmine which caused serious wounds in his foot and other parts of his body, they said.

“Israeli” forces had planted mines along the periphery of the border zone it occupied for 22 years in southern Lebanon until its troop pullout in May.

The area where the landmine blew up on Monday had been deserted throughout the occupation, but since the “Israeli” pullout it was turned into a tobacco field.

The number of accidents involving landmines and other booby traps in southern and eastern Lebanon has increased alarmingly since the “Israeli” withdrawal.

Since then, nine civilians have been killed and 54 injured by exploding mines and booby-trapped objects.

Among the wounded are about 10 Lebanese army soldiers who received injuries while clearing landmine fields, according to an AFP count.

The United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon estimates that “Israel” left behind 130,000 mines in southern Lebanon.

On November 14, the UNIFIL said its Finnish, Swedish and Ukrainian sappers had cleared mines almost one third of the formerly-occupied area, defusing 1,520 explosive devices.

“Israeli” jets shake Beirut with supersonic booms…(4)

“ “Israeli” warplanes broke the sound barrier Monday over Beirut and other regions in southern Lebanon, AFP correspondents said.

The fighter-bombers provoked two loud supersonic booms over the capital, they said.

The jets had earlier swooped over southern Lebanon, causing bangs over the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon as well as the mountainous regions of Hasbaya and Rashaya, they said.

Beirut has filed complaints to the United Nations over repeated “Israeli” violations of its airspace.

Lebanese Army Commander : "Fully prepared to face aggressions"…(6)

On the occasion of Lebanon's Independence Day, the first after liberation of the South and Bekaa from the “Israeli” occuption, the Army Commander Major General Michel Suleiman told Lebanese troops: " Although the enemy was defeated under the attacks of the Resistance and due to the steadfastness of the army and people , it (“Israel”) is still behaving in an aggressive manner by not withdrawing from Shibaa Farms, and by not releasing the (Lebanese) detainees." Major General Sulieman also maintained the necessity of always being ready to face the threats of the enemy and to confront "“Israel’s”" assaults using all possible means.

1- Future TV, 20-11-2000.

2- AFP, 20-11-2000.

3- Same source.

4- Same source.

5- Manar TV, 20-11-2000.

One village’s brave independence…(1)

A large Lebanese flag flies high above Bastara. Fatima Zohra, one of three inhabitants who refused to leave this isolated, ramshackle huddle of stone huts despite more than three decades of occupation, comes out. She is all smiles and coffee cups. “Welcome to Bastara,” she says. “Welcome to Lebanon.”
Anywhere else, this exact reference to our geographical position would seem superfluous. But in Bastara, the confirmation is very important. Just 150 meters away, an “Israeli” border fence appears to stand between the farm and Lebanon. The casual visitor, dropping unprepared into Zohra’s farm, would be forgiven for thinking they had inadvertently crossed onto “the other side.”
But this is not “Israel”. Bastara is a little bit of Lebanon on the other side of the border fence separating the liberated South from the occupied Golan, returned to Lebanon by the UN border commission just over two months ago.
It’s a case of facts on the ground lagging behind facts on paper.
Getting there is half the fun, even if the road from Kfar Shuba, the nearest village, is a real car-killer. Piles of gravel and rocks the size of small children strew the path, a crude dirt track that winds across the lower slopes of Jabl al-Sheikh through untended fields. On the hills above, “Israeli” outposts cap the crests of several peaks. The view is breathtaking and from up there it must be possible to see Haifa, possibly beyond. No wonder the “Israelis” refuse to leave.
Twenty dusty minutes later, the “border” appears. Respite, at least for the car, is in sight. On the other side, a well-maintained “Israeli” Army patrol road follows the fence up the hillside and down onto the plateau below.
Turn left and it’s an easy drive up the hill to the Shibaa Farms. Lebanon and Syria say the farms are Lebanese. “Israel” says they are Syrian. But try to get your own point across and you will surely be shot, well before you get to the “Israeli” outpost at the top of the hill.
Best to turn right. This is the “Bastara pocket” and you are free to drive along the road, complete with signs in Hebrew, as far as farms and the remains of the old “Israeli” outpost, blown up during the retreat. Beyond, the road continues down to where, one day, the borders of Lebanon and Syria will meet again. But for now this, too, is still occupied land.
The track peters out in front of a gate in the fence. Now standing wide open, this gate for decades held the power of life or death over the Zohra family. Literally.
“It was open occasionally but only when the “Israelis” wanted,” recalls Zohra. “One day my mother fell ill and we begged from the morning to let us take her to Marjayoun but they refused. They only opened the gate that night and by then she was dead.”
The gate is disconcerting. Just a few kilometers away at the Hassan Gate, “Israeli” troops fire on those coming too close. But here one can drive right through. Perhaps because for so many years it rarely opened, the gate looks like it should still be shut. Even Zohra admits she is not entirely used to the new status quo.
Big business has no such doubts. And if “Israel” is confused over the status of the farms, perhaps they should have a word with Cellis. Bastara might exist on the other side of an “Israeli” fence, but that doesn’t stop cellular phones from ringing.
Zohra insists that Bastara is not part of the Shibaa Farms. “No, Shibaa is there, a long way inside,” she says pointing over the crest of the hills. “We have land there too, but my family was forced to move here in 1967.”
She has never seen that land, though. Born in 1970, Zohra’s world has been very small.
This year, it finally got a little larger and, for the moment, a little less frightening. The Zohras ­ Fatima’s elderly father Mohammed and her cousin, Qassem are the only other family members left in Bastara ­ can breathe more easily. For the first time in her life, Fatima celebrates Independence Day.
But like other residents of the former occupied zone, her happiness is tempered by the uncertainty ahead. The Shibaa Farms are still very much an issue, as the recent roadside-bomb blasts attest, and while the “Israelis” have gone, the Lebanese state has yet to make an appearance. If for Bastara the fight is over, for the Zohras the struggle goes on.
“We lived in misery but we never left because my father wouldn’t let (the “Israelis”) get our land, Lebanese land,” she says. “Our life is hard, very hard. We still don’t have what we need. But at least for now we can be happy because the “Israelis” have left.”

1-   The Daily Star, 23-11-2000.

Lebano complains to UN over new “Israeli” air violation…(1)

“ Lebanon protested Thursday to the United Nations over a new “Israeli” violation of its airspace, the foreign ministry said.

The protest note was handed to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's office by Lebanon's ambassador to the UN, Salim Tadmouri.

Lebanese police said “Israeli” warplanes overflew Beirut at low altitude overnight Wednesday, as well as the port cities of Sidon and Tyre and other towns of southern Lebanon.

Beirut has filed repeated complaints to the United Nations over “Israeli” violations of its airspace, which the UN said totalled 123 for the month to November 8.

Hariri dismisses UN demand for troops on border…(2)

Prime Minister Rafik Hariri rejected UN requests that Lebanon deploy its army along the southern border on Thursday, saying the United Nations must first press “Israel” to comply with Lebanese demands.
“The army will not solve the problem. If we send the army, will “Israel” leave the Shebaa Farms? If we send the army will “Israel” free our Lebanese citizens?” Hariri said in an interview with Reuters. “Surely not, so “Israel” wants us to do what suits “Israel”. We’ll do what suits us.”
The UN Security Council said last week Lebanon risked a renewed conflict unless it deployed troops and administrators along the border.
Lebanon maintained that it would not deploy the army on the border, arguing that it would only serve to protect “Israel”.
Hariri also praised Syria’s role in Lebanon and dismissed calls for a Syrian withdrawal, saying “these voices represented a minority.” He said the Syrian army had reduced its presence in Beirut, the South and the North and has handed security over to the Lebanese Army.
Hariri also warned that “Israel’s” violence against Palestinians was forcing even the most moderate Arab countries into the hard-line camp and radicalizing the entire Arab world.
“The Arabs are ready for peace, but they cannot accept any peace, and as in “Israel” there is public opinion, we also have public opinion,” he said.
He said most Arab countries made a strategic decision to embark on the peace process, launched in Madrid in 1991, to end more than 50 years of enmity between “Israel” and its Arab neighbors. “Israel”, he maintains, was the one destroying the whole process.
- “Israeli” warplanes flew at low altitude over Beirut and the southern suburbs early Thursday morning. The government submitted a new complaint to the UN Security Council Thursday regarding the continued violations of Lebanese airspace.
The Foreign Ministry asked that the new complaint be added to numerous others submitted by Lebanon since “Israel” withdrew its troops in May, and considered it a new violation of UN Security Council Resolution 425.

1-     AFP, 23-11-2000.

2-     The Daily Star, 24-11-2000.

Mine awareness class launched for children…(1)

The grisly sight of a boy treading on a land mine in Braachit in May was enough to make 12-year old Mohammed Bassam determined to become an expert on the deadly devices.
The experience pushed Bassam, a student from Ainata, to join the Mine Awareness Education workshop, which began Thursday at the Jamil Bazzi Public School in Bint Jbeil.
The workshop’s organizers include the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Save the Children Sweden, the National Demining Office and the Ministry of Education.
By the end of the workshop, Bassam will not have learned how to unearth mines, but he will have learned how to avoid them and help other children do the same.
The three-day workshop is aimed primarily at training educators and social workers in mine awareness. They in turn will then teach children the dangers of mines using a child-to-child approach.
This approach has yielded encouraging results in  mine-afflicted countries such as Cambodia, Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen and northern Iraq, prompting workshop organizers to apply it in the former occupied zone.
Since “Israel’s” 22-year occupation of the South and Western Bekaa ended in May, there have been 75 land-mine accidents, 11 of them fatal and 20 of them involving children.
“Our aim is to make children aware of the dangers of mines through a non-traditional educational method,” said Hijazi Idriss, a UNESCO education-program specialist and workshop coordinator.
The majority of participants in the Bint Jbeil workshop were middle school teachers from 10 public schools in and around the town, many of whom have been active in health, environmental and civic education.
Also attending were social workers who received land-mine training from UNICEF and Balamand University’s Land Mine Resource Center, along with members of the Lebanese Red Cross and six middle-school students.
According to Ibrahim Bazzi, the Education Ministry’s representative in Bint Jbeil, Nabatieh and Marjayoun, up to 2,500 children are likely to benefit from the program in the long run. Fifty of the region’s schools have already been targeted for the program.
“If the workshop succeeds in making children spread the message of safety and behavior regarding mines, an additional 2,500 people, including the children’s parents and relatives, might also benefit,” said Bazzi.
But to succeed, mine awareness education programs must be continuous and include regular follow-up on the ground.
As it turns out, continuity and follow-up are an essential element of child-to-child learning.
“The problem mines that these mines pose won’t go away quickly. That’s why we encourage schools to set up long-term programs with mine awareness activities throughout the year,” said Christina Nelke, the Lebanon-based mine-awareness program officer for Save the Children Sweden.
The child-rights NGO has 15 offices worldwide.
In so doing, Nelke said, teachers should try to instill in their students with the feeling of involvement, ownership and responsibility for their own learning process.
Therefore, part of the workshop includes training teachers to help children learn how to conduct a survey about mine accidents and victims in their community. They are encouraged to discuss their findings in the classroom and decide how to minimize the risks of land mines. The children then put together an action plan and finally evaluate the success of their efforts.
Bassam remembers crying and “feeling a surge of bravery” when he saw the boy in Braachit trigger a mine. Now, Bassam has one thing in mind ­ to save other children, including his two younger siblings from the terrible consequences of land mine accidents.
The National Demining Office is scheduled to field participants’ questions on the workshop’s final session Saturday. The organisation is involved in all mine awareness programs and has begun the arduous task of land-mine clearing.

1- The Daily Star, 25-11-2000.

“Israeli” killed in IR ambush
Lahoud condemned “Israel’s” air and land aggressions…(1)

One “Israeli” soldier was killed and two wounded Sunday in a roadside bomb ambush near Ramta in the Shibaa Farms district, as Hizbullah’s war to liberate the disputed territory intensified.
The “Israelis” retaliated with a heavy air and artillery bombardment of the area facing Ramta, including the first air raid by warplanes since “Israel’s” withdrawal from the South last May. The “Israeli” government lodged a protest with the United Nations, but appeared to refrain from a more severe military response.
President Emile Lahoud condemned the “Israeli” shelling of the Kfar Shuba district and also filed a complaint to the UN.
Hizbullah said in a statement that a unit of the Al-Aqsa battalion detonated a roadside bomb at 6.50am beside an “Israeli” patrol on a road between the outposts of Jabal Summaq and Ramta in the heart of the Farms. Hizbullah said it carried out the attack, the third in the area since Oct. 7, “to complete the liberation of the violated land and in confidence of its choice of jihad to recoup every inch of occupied territory.”
The “Israeli” Army confirmed that one soldier was killed in the blast and named him as Staff Sergeant Khalil Taher, 27, a Bedouin tracker. Two other soldiers were wounded.
“A ground patrol discovered an explosive device around 900 meters from the border in the Har Dov (Shibaa Farms) region,” General Moshe Kaplinsky, commander of the “Israeli” Army’s Galilee region said. “Two soldiers left their vehicle to inspect the device and it exploded.”
The “Israelis” responded almost immediately. Artillery guns pounded the area facing the ambush site and helicopter gunships fired machine guns and missiles in a bid to hit the retreating Hizbullah team.
Warplanes fired missiles at a former Hizbullah observation post, south of Kfar Shuba. Flying debris hit Ahmad Fayez Hussein in the leg while he was working on a road at the northeastern entrance to Kfar Shuba.
“We were trying to make a run for it to take cover when pieces of stones hit me,” the 21-year-old Syrian construction worker said later as fellow workers bandaged his left leg.
By mid-morning, residents of Kfar Shuba huddled in groups as the sound of exploding “Israeli” artillery shells echoed through the hillside village’s winding dusty streets. Phosphorous shells exploded every few seconds in soft puffs of brilliant white smoke among the thorn bushes and boulders of the mountainside. Almost 100 shells were fired into the wadis and mountain slopes near Kfar Shuba, setting light to the scrub. A huge cloud of smoke rolled down the mountainside and billowed over the cultivated.
Suheila Diab, 60, said she was drinking coffee when she heard the blast of Hizbullah’s roadside bomb and saw smoke rising beyond the edge of the Farms.
“At first the sound seemed natural to us because we have heard so many explosions in the past. But when the warplanes came overhead, we grew scared,” she said. “The house shook as they fired their missiles.”
Some of the younger residents stood on the roofs of houses to watch. “I am proud of the resistance,” said Ahmad Saadeddine, 20. “If they continue until the “Israelis” leave the Shibaa Farms it will be very good.”
In the village of Halta, 2 kilometers southwest of Kfar Shuba, Ghassan Abdel-Al, 50, said he lost 47 goats and an unknown number of cattle in the shelling. “We had to bring the rest of the flock down from the hill with shells exploding near us.”
Several goats were injured in the shelling. Abdel-Al’s children tied dirty bandages around the shattered legs of the goats and left the badly hurt animals to die in the shade.
“Israeli” Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who was being interviewed by “Israel” Radio as news was emerging of the bombing, described the situation as “very sensitive” and capable of erupting at any time. “We will go on acting with force and wisdom by the “Israeli” Army in order to respond to everything, to respond with force on the spot, but not to be drawn into adventures. We will know how to do what’s needed,” Barak said.
“Israeli” Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami said the Hizbullah attack was “an aggressive act not only by Hizbullah but also on the Lebanese government’s part.”
“We placed a complaint with the Security Council of the UN against the Lebanese government for the activities of Hizbullah against our forces in the Shibaa region,” Ben-Ami told a press conference. “We hope for support from the international community and for the Lebanese government to condemn this aggression against “Israeli” forces outside Lebanese territory,” Ben-Ami said.
Lahoud condemned the air raids as a “dangerous precedent that threatens the stability in the region.” In a statement, Lahoud said he had instructed Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud to contact Lebanon’s ambassador to the UN Salim Tadmuri and file a complaint with the Security Council.
Official Syrian radio backed the bomb attack. “Lebanon has the right to recover the entirety of its lands taken by “Israel”, including resorting to resistance activity,” Radio Damascus said in its daily commentary. “Lebanese resistance launches its operations from Lebanese territory.”

1-      The Daily Star, 27-11-2000.

Lebanon files complaint to UN over “Israel” shelling…(1)

“ Lebanon filed Monday a complaint to the United Nations Security Council over “Israeli” strikes on Sunday on southern Lebanon triggered by a deadly Hizbullah attack in the “Israeli”-occupied Shibaa Farms area.

"Lebanon has lodged a complaint with the Security Council against “Israel” because of its bombardment against regions south of the (border) village of Kfarshouba," Foreign Minister Mahmud Hammud told reporters.

"The complaint includes a warning mentioning that such action is a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 425 and an aggression against Lebanon's sovereignty," he said.

On Sunday, an “Israeli” soldier was killed and two others wounded in a bombing attack by Hizbullah in the Shibaa Farms, a mountainous region on the Lebanese-Syrian borders which has been occupied by “Israel” since 1967.

Last month, Hizbullah kidnapped three “Israeli” soldiers from the Shibaa Farms in a bid to secure a prisoner swap with “Israel”.

Security Council Resolution 425 was adopted in 1978 after “Israel’s” first invasion of Lebanon and stipulated “Israel’s” complete withdrawal from southern Lebanon, which only took place 22 years later in May.

Lebanon considers the May withdrawal incomplete without the release of 19 Lebanese jailed in “Israel” for years, some without charge, and the "return" of the Shibaa Farms.

Beirut says Lebanese guerrillas therefore have the right and duty to regain the area by all means.

Hariri and Assad discuss “Israeli” ‘aggression’…(2)

Prime Minister Rafik Hariri spent an hour with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus on Monday as the two leaders discussed the turmoil in the Middle East and bilateral ties.
Syrian presidential spokesman Gebran Kourieh said the talks dealt with “the current situation in the region and the effects of the continued “Israeli” escalation of tension and aggressive actions against the Palestinian people.”
The discussion also focused on “contacts underway in the Arab region … and questions of interest to Syria and Lebanon.”
In the evening, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called Hariri, counseling restraint in the South after the weekend hostilities at the Shibaa Farms. Hariri reiterated Lebanon’s “unequivocal right” to recover the Shibaa Farms, which are still occupied by “Israel”.
A source close to Hariri said the Damascus talks focused “80 percent” on regional issues.
Hariri briefed Assad on the results of his recent trips to Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Libya and Egypt and specifically the potential economic cooperation with those countries.
He also updated Assad on a proposal for setting up a gas pipeline that runs from Egypt to Lebanon, Syria and Turkey.
Amid the debate over Syria’s presence in Lebanon, the source said it was the wish of both Hariri and the Syrian leadership that discussions of relations with Syria remain out of the limelight to allow quiet diplomacy to bridge any differences.
Hariri also met Vice-President Abdel-Halim Khaddam and stopped in Anjar on his return for a meeting with General Ghazi Kenaan, the head of Syrian Military Intelligence in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, President Emile Lahoud said on Monday that the Lebanese could only overcome the current difficulties through democracy and unity.
“I’m confident that democracy is capable of solving problems. It’s also capable of rectifying mistakes because it gives the first and final word to the people,” Lahoud told visitors at Baabda Palace.
He said “Israel’s” daily threats compelled every Lebanese to prioritize national interests and cooperate with one another “to avoid any gaps in Lebanon’s unified position.”
These gaps, he said, “may allow certain people to infiltrate and weaken this position by imposing solutions we previously rejected because they were made at the expense of Lebanon’s sovereignty, the dignity of its people and decision-making.”
Lahoud renewed Lebanon’s concern for its freedom and independence and for the basic elements of its political system. He also stressed his concern for fulfilling his role according to the Constitution.

1- The Daily Star, 28-11-2000.

Lahoud, Assad discuss “Israeli” threats…(1)

Syrian President Bashar al-Asad called Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on the phone. Both leaders discussed the latest developments especially that concerning “Israeli” threats and violations of Lebanese sovereignty.

President of Lebanese editors' Syndicate, Melhem Karam who visited Lahoud Tuesday, reported the Lebanese President's confirmation that the Shibaa Farms is Lebanese land, and that Syrian-Lebanese consultations will go on for the interest of both countries.

Karam visited Lahoud to congratulate him for his second year as President. They discussed various Lebanese and Arab issues.

1-      Manar TV, 28-11-2000.

Hizbullah denies ties to ‘spies’ arrested by “Israel”…(1)

Hizbullah denied Wednesday that it had any links with seven Arab-”Israelis” whom “Israel” arrested on charges of spying for the resistance party.
“We’ve repeated over and over again we don’t have anyone working for us outside Lebanon,” said Mahmoud Qmati, deputy president of Hizbullah’s politburo.
“Israeli” radio said that the seven, all relatives from the village of Abu Snan near Acre, were recruited by Hizbullah during a recent visit to family members residing in Lebanon.
They were said to have reported to Hizbullah on “Israeli” Army troop movements in northern “Israel”.
The seven are also charged with planning to set explosive devices, planning to kill Arabs suspected of collaborating with “Israeli” security forces, planning to kidnap “Israeli” soldiers, and recruiting other Arab-”Israelis” for the organization.
It was the first time Arab-”Israelis” have been accused of collaborating with Hizbullah.
“Israeli” radio said earlier in the day that an “Israeli” district court in Haifa allowed publication of the case Wednesday. It did not say when the arrests were made.
The accused have not yet submitted their pleas, but their lawyer said his clients insist they did not harm “Israel’s” security.
Police said the accused have admitted to the charges.
The pleas of guilty or not guilty are to be submitted at the next court session, probably next week, an “Israeli” police spokesman said.
The indictment said the accused were recruited by Hizbullah immediately following the “Israeli” withdrawal in May. It added that the accused were met by a senior Hizbullah intelligence officer, Jamal Tawfiq Salman Sirhan, who gave them Lebanese cellular phones. The telephones were later seized by “Israeli” investigators.
A senior “Israeli” security official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Sirhan organized the Oct. 7 abduction of three “Israeli” soldiers who were patrolling the border. However, this was done by Hizbullah itself and did not involve the Abu Snan group. ­

1-      The Daily Star, 30-11-2000.