Barak's plan to withdraw from south Lebanon
Lebanon-Israel, Politics, 3/3/1999

Chairman of the Israeli Labor Party Ehud Barak said he knows the reality of conditions in Lebanon and developments that may happen in future.

In an interview with Israeli Army Radio on Tuesday, Barak added that on the basis of this understanding, he promised the Israelis that he will work for the withdrawal of the Lebanese Army from south Lebanon, if he is elected as the prime minister of the next Israeli government in the forthcoming Israeli elections on a date not to exceed January 1, 2000.

Barak continued that he occupied key positions in the Israeli Army and met on two successive days with the second man in Syria, Hekmat al-Shehabi, in reference to Syrian-Israeli peace talks in Washington when Shehabi was the Syrian Army's chief of staff and head of the Syrian delegation to the negotiations with the Israelis, and understood well the nature of the Syrian stances.

Barak added that his plan to withdraw the Israeli Army from south Lebanon states that the Lebanese Army will be deployed with international forces to the areas from which the Israeli Army withdraws so this joint Lebanese-international force would ensure security in south Lebanon and northern Israel.

He said that he will find out a solution for the South Lebanon Army militia whic supports Israel, the same solution reached by the Lebanese government toward other Lebanese militias which took part in the Lebanese civil war.

Barak continued that he proposes to give the SLA the freedom to choose either to join the Lebanese Army or to be financially compensated for the services they gave to Israel during its existence in Lebanon.

He added: "Doubtless there is a small group in the SLA which cannot be kept in Lebanon." He refused to say that he proposes to give this group "political sanctuary" in Israel, stressing, "There are solutions in this respect" that he prefers not to disclose.

Previous Stories:
  Caution, tension prevail in south Lebanon   (3/2/1999)
  Five Israeli soldiers, commander of Israeli forces killed in south Lebanon   (3/1/1999)
  Israeli commander admits the success of the Lebanese resistance   (2/26/1999)

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