DATE=6/20/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=LEBANON / U-N (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-263571
BYLINE=LAURIE KASSMAN
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan
has ended his 24-hour visit to Lebanon with a promise
to investigate and end alleged Israeli violations of a
U-N-drawn withdrawal line in southern Lebanon.
Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports from our Middle
East Bureau the U-N official also met with Hezbollah
leaders in Beirut before heading to Jordan and Israel.
TEXT: United Nations Secretary General Annan says U-N
peacekeepers are checking the alleged violations now
and will deal with any problems quickly. He does not
see any major delays in redeploying UNIFIL (the U-N
Interim Force in Lebanon) in the border area.
/// ANNAN ACT ///
UNIFIL is in the middle of checking the
violations and getting them corrected, if they
are confirmed. And I'll be taking this up with
the Israeli authorities and so the question of
correcting the violations and UNIFIL moving down
(into border area) is not an issue that is going
to take months.
/// END ACT ///
Lebanon has complained that Israeli troops are still
inside Southern Lebanon in violation of the May 24th
withdrawal. Officials say Israeli trucks are still
using roads on the Lebanese side of the border and
some Israeli equipment is still there too.
Mr. Annan has promised to discuss the problems with
Israeli leaders on Wednesday. The U-N Secretary
General says no violations will be tolerated.
Before leaving Beirut, Mr. Annan also met with
Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah
guerrillas fought against Israel's 22-year occupation
of southern Lebanon. The group's cooperation with U-N
troops is critical to U-N redeployment along Lebanon's
southern border.
On Monday, Mr. Annan said one thousand extra U-N
troops will soon join four thousand-500 U-N
peacekeepers already in southern Lebanon. Mr. Annan
expects an expanded UNIFIL force in the area
eventually to reach eight thousand. (Signed)
NEB/LC/GE/KL
20-Jun-2000 09:40 AM EDT (20-Jun-2000 1340 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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