People of Jezzine are pleased with al-Sharaa's assurances

Former Lebanese parliament member for Jezzine district Edmond Rizq has said in a statement to Monte Carlo radio's correspondent in Beirut that statements made by Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa in Lebanon on Tuesday concerning Jezzine indicate positive signals that pleased the people of the town in that there will be no complexities in the situation of their district.

The correspondent added that the situation in Jezzine constituted one of the many topics highlighted in the message sent by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss.

For his part, the US ambassador in Beirut, David Satterfield, refused to comment on the Lebanese decision not to sending the army to the area. Satterfield expressed his hope that the process of restoring Lebanese authority to Jezzine will be made smoothly.