Siniora, UN: Israel must stop Lebanon overflights

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and UNIFIL Commander General Alain Pellegrini urged EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in separate meetings Saturday to pressure Israel to end its overflights in Lebanon.

Solana and Siniora discussed, among other things, the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, Israel's sorties over Lebanon, and the Shebaa Farms.

During their 30-minute meeting, the two discussed the situation in southern Lebanon following the deployment of UNIFIL forces and the preparations for the third economic conference which will be held in Paris in a bid to raise funds for Lebanon's rehabilitation.

At the end of the meeting, another meeting was held with Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, Lebanese officials, EU envoy to the Middle East Mark Otte, and other EU officials.

Siniora (R) and Solana (Photo: Reuters)

At the end of the meeting, SIniora and Solana held a press conference, in which Siniora said: "We had a good meeting in which we dealt with a number of issues, starting from the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, as well as the question what are the issues which have not yet been implemented due to lack of cooperation and the Israeli aggressiveness.

"We also discussed the cooperation between the Lebanese army and the boosted UNIFIL force, as well as the continuation of flights over Lebanon, which constitute an Israeli violation of Resolution 1701.

"We also discussed the Shebaa Farms issue – a very important issue to Lebanon. This is Lebanese territory which Israel is still occupying and which is part of the 'seven points' program approved by the government.

"I emphasized to Mr. Solana that Lebanon was implementing Resolution 1701, but Israel is evading the implementation of the resolution and is insisting on continuing the overflights, as well as the issues of the village of Ghajar and the Shebaa Farms. Not to mention the issue of landmines left in the field, the maps of which we have yet to receive, or the Lebanese detained in Israeli prisons.

"We must learn the lessons from the recent Israeli aggressiveness and advance on all issues, starting from the Shebaa Farms, as well as operate on the Palestinian issue, which is one of the Arab and Islamic world's main problems," Siniora said.

Solana said during the press conference, "I can tell you that regarding things that were not implemented such as the Israeli violations, I come from Israel and I can confirm that I spoke to the prime minister and defense minister in Israel and seriously made it clear to both of them that this must be stopped and Resolution 1701 must be implemented by all sides.

"I am also in contact with the UN secretary-general, in order to supervise these issues together with the Security Council," he added.

'Overflights could easily lead to some incident'

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has previously complained that the continued overflights are harming its mission in Lebanon.

The issue was raised by Pellegrini during a 40 minute meeting with Solana, on the second leg of a four-nation Middle East trip, at UNIFIL headquarters in Beirut, an official said Saturday.

"(Pellegrini) complained about the overflights," UNIFIL spokesman Daljeet Bagga told reporters. "He asked Solana to pressure the Israelis."

Solana (R) and Pellegrini (Photo: Reuters)

Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Sunday Israel would continue the overflights, claiming they were needed to stem alleged arms smuggling to the Shiite militia Hizbullah.

"The Lebanese government is falling short of carrying out its commitment under UN Security Council Resolution 1701," that ended the 34-day war between the Jewish state and Hizbullah, the Defense Ministry quoted Peretz as saying.

Bagga said there were "sometimes between nine and 15 flights a day, which is quite a lot actually ... (they occur) sometimes late at night."

"It is very discomforting for the Lebanese, it could easily lead to some incident," Bagga said.

Rice: Disarm Hizbullah 

Asked about Israel's claims that arms were being smuggled to HIzbullah, he replied: "We have no idea really whether weapons are coming in or not -- we are not really sure."

The UNIFIL deployment would swell to around 10,000 by early December, which a European Union official accompanying Solana said would be "a very satisfactory level".

Bagga said UNIFIL currently comprised about 8,000 to 9,000 troops.

Solana's visit comes as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stepped up the pressure on Hizbullah's guerrilla to disarm.

Rice said in a television interview aired Friday that Hizbullah should drop its armed struggle if it wants to continue playing a role in Lebanese politics.

Under UN Resolution 1701, which ended the July-August war between Israel and Hizbullah, UNIFIL is to be boosted from its previous level of 2,000 to a possible 15,000-strong force, with European countries providing 7,000 troops.

News agencies contributed to the report