Mideast situation/Lebanon/Air violation – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 24 January 2002 from the Permanent Representative

of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed
to the Secretary-General

  While Israel persists in its aggression against Lebanon and in its flagrant violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on a daily basis, Israeli warplanes again penetrated Lebanese airspace on Wednesday, 23 January 2002, violating Lebanese sovereignty in the central sector of southern Lebanon.

  Israeli forces also proceeded to bombard Lebanese territory with 155-millimetre shells from their positions in the occupied Shab`a farmlands, while Israeli aircraft attacked the Kafr Shuba area and other areas nearby and continued their overflights of Hasbayya, Marj Uyun, Bint Jubayl and the western Bekaa.

  Lebanon stresses that these ongoing Israeli incursions are serious provocations and violations that occur on a daily basis, as you state in paragraph 3 of your reports of 20 July 2001 and 16 January 2002 (S/2001/714 and S/2002/55). Lebanon also affirms that the continuing aerial violations of the Blue Line and deep penetrations of Lebanese airspace are not justified and are carried out despite the démarches of the United Nations and concerned governments calling on Israel to halt them and to respect the Blue Line and Lebanese sovereignty, as described in your most recent report, since they are manifestly in breach of Security Council resolution 425 (1978) and pose a threat to security and stability in the region. The persistent incursions and violations being committed on land, at sea and in the air have begun to escalate, inasmuch as there were 63 in October 2001, 45 in November 2001 and 75 in December 2001.

  Lebanon calls attention to the dangerous character of Israel’s breaches and violations of its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and it lodges with you and with the Security Council its protest at their persistence, demanding that they be condemned, halted and prevented from recurring.

  Lebanon takes this opportunity to thank you for the observations and recommendations made in your most recent report concerning the incursions and violations in question.

  I should be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 42, and of the Security Council.

( Signed) Sélim Tadmoury
Ambassador
Permanent Representative