Egypt, Syria Reject Israel’s Lebanon Offer
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his Syrian counterpart, Hafez Assad, on Wednesday rejected Israel’s conditions for a pullout from southern Lebanon.
The two leaders told a news conference after talks here that Israel must leave the 9-mile-deep strip of Lebanon, as stipulated in U.N. Security Council Resolution 425, without asking for anything in return.
Assad, whose country is the main power broker in Lebanon, said: “Israel has to just withdraw from Lebanon. The Israelis entered Lebanon, so they can get out of it.”
The leaders were responding to a proposal, endorsed by Israeli leaders last month, to partially implement the 1978 resolution. In turn, the Israelis--who say they use the strip as a buffer against attacks on their nation--are seeking security guarantees.
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