Violations across the Blue Line – Letter from Lebanon

Letter dated 6 December 2004 from the Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

  I wish to draw your attention to two letters addressed to you by the Permanent Representative of Israel, on 9 and 17 November 2004, and to the way in which they take advantage of two incidents that occurred on the Blue Line in an attempt to distract attention from the almost daily violations and attacks committed by his country against Lebanon.

  Accordingly, and on instructions from my Government, I have the honour to provide you with the following clarification:

 –   For a long time past, it has been Israel that has deliberately, and on an almost daily basis, been violating Lebanese airspace using various types of fighter aircraft as well as remotely-controlled unmanned air vehicles. Israel has also been using various forms of provocation in Lebanese airspace to terrorize the population and prevent people from going about their daily work, as reported in detail in dozens of our communications addressed to you, the most recent of which were number 2042/04 of 26 October 2004, number 2194/04 of 18 November 2004 and number 2209/04 of 23 November 2004.

 –   The Lebanese resistance, which was the reason for the departure of Israeli forces from occupied Lebanese territory after 22 years of resistance and struggle, is part of the national fabric of Lebanon and enjoys the support of the Lebanese Government and people which are engaged in an ongoing struggle to regain possession of the portions of national territory that are still under Israeli occupation.

 –   The policy of State terrorism carried out on a daily basis by the Israeli forces against the Lebanese population — whether by constantly violating Lebanese airspace and territorial waters, or by not handing over to the United Nations peacekeeping forces the remaining maps of the areas mined by Israel prior to its withdrawal, together with Israel’s daily attacks and threats — is conducted entirely on the instructions of the Israeli Government and is intended to prevent the Lebanese population from returning to the enjoyment of their property and to harass them by terror and intimidation.

  The Lebanese Government looks to the United Nations to stop the Israeli attacks and provocations against Lebanon, to establish security and stability along the Blue Line and to prevent the constant violations of Lebanese airspace and territorial waters as well as to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in accordance with the Arab peace initiative adopted in Beirut, and on the basis of the terms of reference of Madrid, the principle of land for peace and implementation of the applicable Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973).

  I should be grateful if you would have this response circulated as a document of the General Assembly under agenda item 36, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Sami Kronfol 

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

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