Parties make effort to calm down the situation in Lebanon

The Five Nations Committee meets today for the third consecutive day at the Unifil headquarters in Naqura to discuss 10 complaints made by Lebanon and Israel.

Lebanon's Future TV reported today that the discussions of the panel happened in a very tense atmosphere and that they reached a dead-end when the Lebanese and Syrian delegations asked the committee to condemn Israel for its attacks on civilians in Sidon. The Israelis replied that the South Lebanese Army was responsible for the attacks on Sidon and that its leader General Antoine Lahd does not depend on Israel.

American Secretary of State Madeleine Albright reported that her visit to the region, planned for September, was to be postponed, due to the violence in the area and the difficulties facing talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Instead, Albright will send US envoy Dennis Ross to the area for a four-day trip to clear the atmosphere between the Palestinian and Israeli governments.

Ross declared that it is necessary to improve the Syrian-Israeli negotiations on one hand and the Lebanese-Israeli negotiations on the other hand in order to create a good environment in the region.