Mideast situation/Lebanon – LAS letter

LETTER DATED 28 JUNE 1999 FROM THE CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES A.I. OF

THE PERMANENT OBSERVER MISSION OF THE LEAGUE OF ARAB  STATES

TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE

SECURITY COUNCIL

In accordance with Article 54 of the Charter of the United Nations, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith a letter dated 26 June 1999 addressed to you by Mr. Ahmed Esmat Abdel Meguid, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.  It concerns the wide-ranging assault launched by Israel against the territory of Lebanon, targeting innocent civilians and vital installations and infrastructure, and it requests that all necessary measures be taken to halt Israel's acts of aggression and its violations and to bring an end to a situation that constitutes a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law.

I should be grateful if you would bring the present letter and its annex to the attention of the members of the Security Council and if you would have them circulated as a Council document.

(Signed)  Ali A. ABBAS     

Chargé d'affaires a.i.

Annex

[Original:  Arabic]

Letter dated 26 June 1999 from the Secretary-General of

the League of Arab States addressed to the President of

the Security Council

You are no doubt aware of the grave developments there have been as a result of the launching by the Israeli air force of a wide-ranging assault on Lebanese territory and its bombing of civilian targets there.  This has caused losses in material and human terms, and the bombing has left innocent civilians dead and wounded and has caused serious damage to vital installations and to the country's infrastructure.

We condemn these repeated Israeli assaults on Lebanon in the strongest terms, and we regard Israel's repressive practices as an escalation of tension and an indication that reflects negatively on the efforts being made to revive the peace process.

From this perspective, we call upon you to ensure that all necessary measures are taken to halt Israel's acts of aggression and its violations, to urge the Israeli Government to comply with Security Council resolution 425 (1978) – in which the Council calls upon Israel to withdraw forthwith and unconditionally from all occupied Lebanese territory and to respect Lebanon's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity – and to prevail upon the Israeli Government to pay Lebanon the necessary compensation for the damage caused by its repeated assaults and its constant violations of the understanding of April 1996, of the Charter of the United Nations and of resolutions that have the force of international law.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Ahmed Esmat ABDEL MEGUID

Secretary-General

of the League of Arab States

_________

**Reissued for technical reasons.

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