Shebaa residents urge UN to demand Israeli withdrawal

[bemildred]

BEIRUT, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- Residents in the disputed Shebaa Farms on Friday urged the United Nations to take a "clear position," demanding that Israel withdraw from the area and allow the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to deploy there "temporarily."

"The UN should recognize the Lebanese identity of the Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba hills, and UN Security Council Resolution 425 should be implemented," Mohammad Hamdan, president of the Lebanese Shebaa Farms and Arqoub Residents' Committee, told reporters.

"The committee insists on liberating all Lebanese territories, taking into consideration Shebaa, Kfar Shouba and Mount Sheikh," he said.

He said that Israel's occupation of the lands reflected the Jewish state's desire "to steal the areas' riches."

China View

[Fredda Weinberg]

1. What a shame the UN already found otherwise

"It's an arid piece of land," says Adib Farha, a former aide to Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and a native of the southern Lebanese village of Marjayoun. "Most Lebanese had never heard of it until Hizbullah brought it up in 2000."

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0822/p10s01-wome.html

But let's reward these delightful people ... from the same article

To draw attention to Shebaa Farms, Hizbullah guerrillas abducted and killed three Israeli soldiers in a cross-border ambush in October 2000. The bodies were returned in a prisoner swap in January 2004.

[bemildred]

2. I did find the bit about "stealing the areas riches" amusing.

I don't understand your comment about the UN "finding otherwise". What did they find otherwise?

[geek tragedy]

3. Doesn't the UN consider it part of Syria?

Seems that the Shebaa Farms should be dealt with at the same time as the Golan Heights.

And it's time to just give up the Golan Heights. Syria is not a strategic threat to Israel. Any concerns could be addressed by putting UN peacekeepers (with the authority to, you know, actually keep the peace) in the area so that Hezbollah doesn't take it over.

[bemildred]

4. My understanding, which is not that well founded, is

that the situation has been kept somewhat foggy, since Syria, considering that all of Lebanon is really a Syrian province, has been unwilling to negotiate the Lebanese border, including this area; and Israel, for reasons of it's own does not wish to put the ball in the Syrian court by withdrawing. I am not sure what the UN position is, if there is one, other than no doubt it would like the parties to resolve their differences. The land in question is really not that much to be bickering over unless one likes to bicker.

My impression is that Syria may be starting to budge on the issue, but more facts are needed.

[geek tragedy]

5. I don't disagree with anything you write there.

I've always found it ironic that Hezbollah claimed to be dedicated to repelling invaders while collaborating with Lebanon's foreign (i.e. Syrian) occupiers.

Bickering for the sake of bickering is just about right.