UN asked to halt Israeli aggressions against Lebanon

Arab League Secretary-General Esmat Abdul Meguid has asked UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to intensify efforts and make urgent contacts with the representatives of the UN Security Council's member states to force Israel to halt all aggressive acts against the Lebanese people.

The latest Israeli measures were manifested in the Israeli occupation troops' theft of Lebanese soil to transfer it to northern Israel.

The AL chief explained that Israeli measures are grave, constituting a violation of all international norms and regulations. He also urged the UN chief to take prompt action to stop Israel's deliberate disregard of Security Council Resolution 425, which provides for a full and prompt Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon.

Abdul Meguid will begin a three-day official visit to Lebanon next Monday. During his visit, the AL chief will discuss with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and with senior Lebanese officials the latest developments on the Arab arenas and means of reactivating common Arab issues in all fields as well as efforts exerted to support Lebanon.

Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, had earlier sent to Abdul Meguid a message informing him about the danger of the Israeli attacks against the Lebanese people living in the south, mainly the stealing of soil, and asking him to conduct an Arab action at the international level to put an end to these practices, MAP reported.

According to press reports last October, hundreds of tons of top soil from south Lebanon were systematically stolen by the Israelis and dumped inside Israel for the benefit of Israel's northern farmers.

The Israeli Army admitted last November 6 that fertile soil from the 850 square km Israeli occupied area in south Lebanon had been robbed by Israeli civilians.