Salam says army to start deploying in 'pilot zones' in south
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Thursday that the army would begin deploying in "pilot zones" in the country's south, a day after Israel and Lebanon agreed in Washington to implement a ceasefire.
"The next step is practical and tangible: the deployment of the Lebanese army in pilot zones as a first phase," Salam said, according to remarks read out by Information Minister Paul Morcos after a cabinet meeting, adding that "this does not prejudice our right to a full (Israeli) withdrawal, but brings us closer to it."
According to a joint statement released after the Washington talks that Hezbollah has rejected, Israel and Lebanon agreed to create "pilot zones" in south Lebanon where the Lebanese army forces "will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors."
Below are Salam's full remarks in cabinet:
"The negotiation path we have chosen is the fastest and least costly route for Lebanon and the Lebanese people, as well as for the South and its residents.
Negotiations were not the only option available to us, but they were the best option. We could have stood by helplessly in the face of a reality and a war we did not choose, which was never an option for even a moment. We could have turned to international courts, a process that takes years while we continue to suffer further losses. Or we could have relied solely on the United Nations Security Council, only to face political obstruction and vetoes while the destruction continued. Of course, choosing negotiations does not preclude us from pursuing any of these other options in parallel.
I would also like to commend what His Excellency the President of the Republic announced today. The negotiations have not been easy, and our delegation has faced Israeli intransigence throughout the process. What we are demanding in these talks is nothing new. It is what we have said from day one: a complete Israeli withdrawal from our territory, the return of our people to their homes and villages with dignity and security, supported by our rightful claim to our land, the backing of our Arab brothers, international support, and American understanding.
As for ensuring that the area south of the Litani River is free of armed personnel and weapons, this is not a condition imposed on us by anyone. It is a commitment Lebanon made to the world when it accepted UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in 2006. Regarding the principle that arms should be exclusively in the hands of the state throughout Lebanese territory, we have delayed far too long in implementing the provisions of the Taif Agreement, which the Lebanese themselves signed and which was also reaffirmed in our ministerial statement. We missed the opportunity in 2000 after the Israeli withdrawal, and again after the Syrian withdrawal in 2005. We must not miss this opportunity as well, because the consequences of doing so this time would be grave.
The next step is practical and tangible: the deployment of the Lebanese Army in designated pilot areas as an initial phase. This does not undermine our right to a full Israeli withdrawal; rather, it brings us closer to achieving it. Every hour that passes without implementation is an hour for which the South and its people pay the price. All parties are therefore required to place Lebanon and the interests of its people above any other interest, whether external or factional, and to assume their responsibilities. Those who refuse or delay bear sole responsibility for the consequences that may result, before history and, more importantly, before the Lebanese people who have suffered greatly and made enormous sacrifices.
Therefore, I address everyone clearly: let us work together under the authority of the state. Once again, I repeat that this path is not easy, nor will it be short. But it becomes shorter, and we become stronger, when all efforts are united within the institutions of the Lebanese state."
Source: Agence France Presse, Naharnet
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