Lebanon protests French premier's statement describing Lebanese resistance as terrorism
Lebanon-France, Politics, 2/26/2000

A Lebanese official source on Friday stated that Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss earlier in the day summoned the French ambassador to Lebanon, Philippe Le Ceurtier, and informed him of Lebanon's complaint over the statements made by French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin in Israel on Thursday.

In the second day of his visit to Israel Jospin described the operations of the Lebanese resistance against the Israeli occupation forces in south Lebanon as terrorist. Al-Hoss described these statements as very dangerous and unbelievable.

In a press conference al-Hoss said: "It is difficult for us to believe the dangerous words pronounced by Jospin or to understand his logic when he says the resistance movement in Lebanon is terrorist and that Israel's occupation of a dear part of our land is for the protection of its borders."

Al-Hoss questioned: "How could a heroic resistance act be classified in the list of terrorism while international norms and charters have stressed the right of peoples to resist occupation?" Hoss stressed that terrorism lies in Israel's occupation of Lebanon's lands, its daily bombardment of populated villages, destruction of the infrastructure, holding a great number of detainees and hostages and threats continuously made by the Israeli officials to burn the Lebanese soil.

Hoss added if these Israeli oppressive measures are meant to protect the lives of Israeli soldiers, they have only to pull out from Lebanon.

The Lebanese premier compared the French resistance of the Nazi occupation and the Lebanese resistance against the Israeli occupation, asking, "Was Nazi Germany's occupation of French territories a security belt to protect its borders and was the French resistance movement which France is proud of a terrorist movement which should be condemned?"

Hoss called on France to renew its backing to Lebanon in confrontation of the Israeli aggression. "We are looking forward to France, the friendly country to which we are linked by deep ties and historical relations, to renew its backing to our cause and back our legitimate right to resistance and liberation," he said.

Al-Hoss regretted such statements to be made at a time when efforts are being made to resume meetings of the April Understanding Monitoring Committee within the course of which the Lebanese resistance works.

However, Jospin who justified the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, had previously refused to condemn the Israeli aggression against Lebanon in 1996 and the Grapes of Wrath and Qana massacres carried out by the Israeli forces against the Lebanese civilians, resulted in killing over 100 Lebanese civilians.

Previous Stories:
  Lebanese premier gets message of support from French counterpart   (2/24/2000)
  Kuwaiti defense minister confers with Lebanese, French military men   (2/22/2000)
  Demonstration in Paris against Israeli attacks on Lebanon   (2/14/2000)

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