The US, France's position towards Lebanon

A well-informed source told the Lebanese daily al-Safir that there is a common ground from which both the French and American positions stem, which is to cool down the front of south Lebanon definitely and to accept the need of solving pending problems between Lebanon and Israel through available diplomatic channels.

The source unveiled that the delegate of the French President to each of Syria, Jordan and Lebanon gave during a meeting together with an elite political group on Monday evening to the banquet of the French ambassador in Beirut, a definition which the UN will fight if such a definition is found in Lebanon.

The source indicated that the director of Africa and the Middle East department at the French foreign ministry said that any violation by bombs to the border " blue Line" is a terrorist operation.

The French envoy informed the Lebanese side that France considered the Shebaa farms protected by the "Blue line" agreed upon by Beirut with the UN general Secretariat.

The source indicated that the message of the French President Jacques Chirac to Lebanon had no mention to the UN resolution 425, which is considered by France as implemented by Israel, while, on the other hand, France considers the political vision for peace in the ME region should be based on UN resolutions 242 and 338 so as the French proposal will meet with the US proposal, noting that the statement given by the US secretary of state Colin Powell excludes UN resolution 425 as it was considered implemented and had within its vision UN resolutions 242 and 338.

The paper indicated that another Lebanese politician has also unveiled that another European person in Lebanon had also informed Lebanese officials on the need to keep calm the front of South Lebanon through the Shebaa Gate because the international community does not believe it is ( the Shebaa farms) a legitimate claim.