Lahoud: Israeli withdrawal must be complete, unconditional

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud said yesterday in a letter to the Lebanese army on the occasion of Army Day that Lebanese soldiers should be in a state of exceptional alert to be ready for coming regional developments, the Lebanon National News Agency said.

Lahoud said that Lebanon opposes conditional withdrawal of Israeli occupation troops from south Lebanon, adding that if Lebanon had agreed to conditions, Lebanese absorption of refugees would have been one of the conditions called for by Israel.

He also reiterated committment to the unity of the Syrian and Lebanese peace tracks, NNA said.