No unilateral Israeli pullout in Lebanon

Yitzhak Mordechai, Israel's defense minister, yesterday ruled out withdrawing Israeli troops unilaterally from the south Lebanon occupation area. "From the information I have and from what I hear and know, we have no such option," Mordechai told Israel's army radio.

"We don't have the luxury of carrying out an unilateral action with the implication of possibly endangering communities on the northern border," he said.

Mordechai said a pullback without an agreement with the Lebanese government could force Israel "to later wage a much heavier battle," Al Gomhoriah. paper daily said today October 24.