30 November 2005

BEIRUT: In light of Syria's declaration the Shebaa Farms are Lebanese, some Lebanese parties suggested Tuesday it was time to liberate the occupied territory through diplomatic means as opposed to Hizbullah's military operations. Commenting on statement of the Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa in Barcelona, Walid Jumblatt said: "Finally Sharaa has admitted the Farms are Lebanese, but inside Lebanon he will cause chaos."

Jumblatt claimed the Syrian regime "sends rosy words from abroad" while continuing to disrupt Lebanon's stability.

"Such political madness and fabrication of facts on the part of the Syrian mukhabarat (secret police) is pure comedy," he said.

Meanwhile, former President Amin Gemayel met with Speaker Nabih Berri for discussions on current events, highlighting the importance of preserving national unity and solving disagreements through dialogue.

Following the meeting, Gemayel said Sharaa's declaration in Barcelona "set the basis for a diplomatic era to end the Shebaa Farms problem."

He added the announcement was "one of the best developments since the relations between Syria and Lebanon began deteriorating."

"However," he added, "we hope the new improved relations will reflect positively on the Lebanese policies regarding the security situation."

Gemayel also voiced support for the resistance's role in freeing the South of Israeli occupation in 2000, saying "Without this liberation we could not have accomplished our freedom, but we must give diplomacy a chance to realize the liberation of Shebaa Farms and the hills of Kfar Shouba."

Berri also headed a meeting of the Liberation and Development bloc to discuss the contents of Wednesday's parliamentary session.

Following the meeting Amal MP Anwar Khalil said Berri seemed "very optimistic" about the latest political and diplomatic developments in the country.

"Berri described the political atmosphere in the country as positive, emphasizing the importance of Sharaa's declaration that had opened the door to solving the Shebaa Farms dispute very soon," he added.

Separately, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi warned against new threats to Lebanon's internal stability.

Aridi's comments came during the inauguration of Al-Jazeera's Children's Channel in Beirut in which he gave the controversial satellite station his full support.

"We object to all kinds of harassment exercised against any media establishment," he said. "Questioning the media's dedication to its professionalism is an act of terror that will only enhance our commitment to freedom of expression."

Also commenting on Sharaa's assertion, he said: "My eyes were focused on the positive declaration in Barcelona and were not distracted by the evil declaration of the biased witness," in reference to claims this week the UN and Beirut MP Saad Hariri had bribed a witness in the investigation of former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination.

However, Aridi stressed that in order "To reaffirm the Lebanese identity of Shebaa Farms, we must have the proper documentation."

Beirut MP Gebran Tueni echoed the call for Syria to put its pledge to paper, saying: "We need an official document signed by the Syrian government ...We don't need declarations because our Syrian brothers talk too much."

"Each time the Syrians face an awkward situation, they create positive atmospheres," he added.

Tueni further said Sharaa "should have apologized to Siniora for the statements of President Bashar Assad before declaring the Shebaa Farms were Lebanese."

Asked if the declaration supported Hizbullah in its struggle against the international community, Tueni said: "Do Shebaa Farms belong to Hizbullah? They belong to the Lebanese and Hizbullah cannot monopolize the resistance."

"All Lebanese have the

sacred duty to liberate their land and the resistance belongs to the Lebanese Army, which is able today to deploy its soldiers and carry out military operations; Lebanon is also able to hold negotiations," he asserted.

Several politicians, including former Premier Najib Mikati and Telecommunications Minster Marwan Hamade, stressed on Tuesday the need for an international court to try the accused in the Hariri investigation.

"The suspects keep creating a situation through which they try to disrupt the investigation and avoid justice," Hamade said. "An international court is the only guarantee of penalizing the perpetrators."