Report: Fate of SLA militia members after Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon

The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot said on Friday that it is probable that members of the pro-Israeli South Lebanon Army militia will be transferred from south Lebanon to Cyprus when the Israeli army withdraws from south Lebanon.

The Israeli paper quoted a high-ranking officer in the militia as saying that it is proposed to take those members with their families to northern Cyprus, adding that work has started to establish a position for this purpose.

The same source added to the Israeli paper that members of the SLA militia are awaiting the return of their leader, Antoine Lahd, from France on Sunday to know what will go on.

The high-ranking SLA militia officer who refused to be identified said the militia members prefer to move to a country close to Lebanon and that Cyprus is the best choice for lower ranking soldiers in the militias, adding that the militia's officers may settle in Sweden or Denmark.

Nevertheless, Israeli officials in charge of the future program of the pro-Israeli militias denied in a similar statement to this paper any plan to establish any position in Cyprus.