LEBANON: U.N. MIDDLE EAST PEACE ENVOY TERJE ROED-LARSEN APPEALS FOR RETRAINT BY BOTH SIDES ALONG THE ISRAELI-LEBANON BORDER

Record ID: 350101

  • Title: LEBANON: U.N. MIDDLE EAST PEACE ENVOY TERJE ROED-LARSEN APPEALS FOR RETRAINT BY BOTH SIDES ALONG THE ISRAELI-LEBANON BORDER
  • Date: 29th May 2000
  • Summary: BEIRUT, LEBANON (MAY 29, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. MV: U.N. MIDDLE EAST PEACE ENVOY TERJE ROED-LARSEN MEETING LEBANESE PRESIDENT EMILE LAHOUD AND PRIME MINISTER SALIM AL-HOSS 0.03 2. VARIOUS OF MEETING (5 SHOTS) 0.23 3. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (English) LARSEN AT NEWS BRIEFING SAYING: "As we have all seen, there are several points along the bor
  • Embargoed: 13th June 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIRUT AND SKIES OVER SOUTH LEBANON, LEBANON
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Reuters ID: LVADTB8Y4W2Q0W7WCKQQJY0CTZI5
  • Story Text: U.N.Middle East peace envoy Terje Roed-Larsen has appealed for
    restraint by both sides along the Israeli-Lebanese border to avoid an
    international incident.

    Larsen, who said Israel was working hard to remove the last elements of
    its presence from Lebanese soil, met Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on Monday
    (May 29) to brief him on progress in verifying that Israel has totally
    withdrawn.

    He saw Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday and heads to Damascus on
    Tuesday for talks the following day with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq
    al-Shara.Syria has been ambiguous about whether it will endorse U.N.plans for
    securing peace along the Israeli-Lebanese border.

    "As we have all seen, there are several points along the border that remain
    sensitive," Larsen said in a statement after seeing Lahoud.

    "Regrettably, yesterday several Lebanese were injured by Israeli soldiers.

    I raised this matter with Prime Minister Barak yesterday, and advised him to
    instruct his soldiers to exercise restraint."
    Lebanese have gathered in the past few days at the former Fatma Gate
    crossing between Israel and the occupation zone it held in Lebanon until last
    Wednesday, hurling stones and verbal abuse at Israeli troops over the border.

    "Freedom of assembly and expression are basic rights.At the same time, it
    is very important that all responsible parties concerned focus their efforts on
    ensuring that the exercise of these rights does not lead to situations that
    could produce an international incident," Larsen said.

    Larsen said he hoped the United Nations would be able to verify in a few
    days Israel has fully withdrawn, clearing the way for deployment of U.N.troops
    near the border and restoration of full Lebanese government authority.

    Lebanon has said it will not respond to U.N.calls for it to deploy the
    army in the area until there is official confirmation that Israel has totally
    withdrawn.

    "Israel's withdrawal from the border area continues," Larsen said."Over
    the years Israel had built a considerable amount of security-related
    infrastructure on the Lebanese side of the border.

    "We see through our mobile patrols that Israel is working intensively to
    complete its withdrawal from these locations.Prime Minister Barak assured me
    of this yesterday," Larsen said.

    U.N.cartographers have been working in south Lebanon to ensure Israel has
    withdrawn and were consulting with Lebanese officials on Monday.


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