UN: Lebanon can have the Shebaa Farms if they want it
The UN has said that Lebanon and Syria are free to decide which side of the border the Shebaa Farms lie on.
After the Israeli withdrawal from Occupied Southern Lebanon in 2000, the UN said that Shebaa was on the Syrian side - meaning that Israel no longer occupied any Lebanese land. But Syria has maintained that Shebaa is Lebanese land.
Why doesn't Syria want Shebaa? Because of Hizbollah. If Shebaa is Syrian, no Lebanese land is occupied, and the Lebanese Resistance Movement (Hizbollah) has no reason to keep its arms - the resistance is over. But if - as Syria and Lebanon claim - Shebaa is in Lebanon, the resistance is justified.
But for the first time, the UN has said that although Shebaa is in Syria, the two countries are free to make a bilateral agreement and move the border.
Israel has made a complaint to Kofi Annan and the Security Council.
Sasa, that is very perceptive. I think you are correct. That is also possibly why Hizbulla started that recent flare-up; to show that danger still lurked and that they were still vitally needed as protectors of Lebanon, and that it would be a grave mistake to disarm them.
Barney
Posted by Anonymous | 10:27 am