Hizbullah warns officials against offering Israel guarantees
Lebanon, Politics, 2/16/1998

Hizbullah's secretary-general Sheik Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday warned government officials against offering Israel security guarantees before it withdraws from a border enclave in south Lebanon.

"Not one official in the Lebanese government has the right to give security guarantees to (U.N. secretary-general) Kofi Annan or America or Israel," he said in a speech marking the anniversary of the assassination of former Hizbullah chief Abbas Musawi.

"Anyone who dares offer security guarantees will be speaking for himself only and no one will respect his guarantees," he added.

Lebanon wants the implementation of United Nations resolution 425, which calls on Israel to withdraw its troops from south Lebanon unconditionally. The resolution was adopted in 1978 after the first Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

When Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon in 1985 following the second invasion, they kept a border zone in the south which Israel claims is a must to protest its northern border from cross-border guerrilla attacks.

Recently, Israeli officials have said Israel would implement resolution 425 only after receiving guarantees that Hizbullah would not attack its northern settlements following a withdrawal.

The Lebanese government and Hizbullah have rejected this offer and said Israel must withdraw without any conditions.

"This enemy will withdraw from our land without any preconditions and guarantees," Nasrallah said.

Previous Stories:
  Swedish foreign minister pessimistic about peace prospects   (2/14/1998)
  Lebanon pullout   (1/15/1998)
  Hizbullah leader turns down Israeli offer   (1/12/1998)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search