Mideast situation/Lebanon – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 23 September 1986 from the Permanent Representative of Lebanon

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to enclose the text in Arabic of a telegram addressed to you by His Excellency Mr. Rashid Karami, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and Expatriate Affairs, following a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, 23 September 1986.

I should be grateful if you would have the text of this letter and its annex circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 37, and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Rachid FAKHOURY

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

ANNEX

Urgent telegram from the Lebanese Government addressed to the

President of the Security Council and the Secretary-General

At a meeting held today, Tuesday, 23 September 1986, the Lebanese Government decided to draw the attention of the Council, on behalf of Lebanon, to the need for reaffirmation of its resolution 425 (1978) in particular, and of subsequent related resolutions in general, as well as to the need to implement its provisions in full, with a view to persuading the Israeli enemy to withdraw at the earliest opportunity across Lebanon's boundaries in order to ensure the national sovereignty and security of that country's citizens, who continue to be subjected to the most offensive and distasteful practices at the hands both of the Israeli occupation army and of the so-called "Lahad" client forces, which carry out the orders of the Israeli enemy and subscribe to its aims and purposes.

The difficulties currently being faced by the international forces in southern Lebanon are a result of the continued presence of the occupiers and their refusal to implement Security Council resolution 425 (1978). The forces are thus prevented from performing their role and carrying out the task which they came to fulfil, namely, that of bringing about a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

The various fragile excuses advanced by Israel in an attempt to justify its extended occupation, its prevention of the international forces from the fulfilment of their task and its persistent refusal to implement Security Council resolutions detract from the respect and credibility accorded to the Council and impair its effectiveness. This is not consistent with your wishes or your inclinations, and the Lebanese Government therefore calls once again on the Council as a whole and on those of its members who believe in the rights of peoples, the preservation of those rights and the maintenance of their sovereignty, independence and the security of their citizen. to take the necessary measures, by means of a collective decision, to ensure the safety of the international forces.

The Lebanese Government understands the concern of participating States for the safety of their units and the security of their soldiers, and for the safety and security of all the international forces. This safety can be. ensured only by means of a complete Israeli withdrawal. The Secretary-General, Mr. Pérez de Cuéllar, addressed this subject in his Report on the work of the Organization by calling for respect for Security Council resolutions and action towards their implementation.

The Lebanese Government is convinced that no State member of the Security Council is unaware of its responsibility with regard to the current acts of aggression, practices and threats emanating from the Israeli occupiers which threaten southern Lebanon. The latter continue to extend their occupation and to advance fragile excuses in order to avoid implementation of the wishes of the Security Council. as set forth in its successive resolutions. The Government fears that it is the intention of certain elements to oblige the international forces to withdraw. This would create a vacuum in the reg ion which would lead, as stated in the Report of the Secretary-General, to threats which could not be accepted or permitted by anyone.

Rashid KARAMI

Prime Minister and Minister for

Foreign and Expatriate Affairs