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http://sg.news.yahoo.com/021016/1/33t9y.html Agence France-Presse October 17, 2002 Israel sends out warning signals to Lebanon, as Sharon to meet Bush -"This affair could set off a regional conflict over water resources and the unilateral measure taken by Lebanon could lead to a serious escalation between Lebanon and Israel," Peres added. -Analysts believe Israel could even use its officially unacknowledged nuclear capability to hit Iraq if Baghdad launches weapons of mass destruction at its densely populated coastal plain. Israel warily eyed the start of Lebanon's pumping of water from a disputed border river as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon prepared to meet with US President George W. Bush in Washington to hear demands for restraint in the conflict with the Palestinians and possibly Iraq. Just minutes after a ceremony to start pumping water from the Wazzani river in southern Lebanon -- which flows indirectly into Israel's main reservoir, the Sea of Galilee -- Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said Israel would not tolerate any unilateral measures by Lebanon to siphon off key water reserves. "We do not and will not tolerate unilateral measures and (Israel) reserves the right to defend its water resources in line with international law," said Peres, echoing Sharon's line that excessive pumping would constitute grounds for war. "This affair could set off a regional conflict over water resources and the unilateral measure taken by Lebanon could lead to a serious escalation between Lebanon and Israel," Peres added. "I don't think that is what Lebanon wants but I suspect that is what Hezbollah wants, an organisation of hate, murder and destruction ... which will halt at nothing to create provocations," he said. Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim militia hostile to Israel, warned it would retaliate "within minutes" if Israel targeted the water project. Sharon's warning of a possible conflict with Lebanon over the river project mobilised US diplomatic efforts to find a compromise to the crisis, whereby Lebanon would take less water than anticipated by Israel. The subject was expected to feature in talks Sharon will hold later in Washington with Bush, who wants him to exercise restraint both in his dealings with the Palestinians and if Iraq attacks Israel during an anticipated US strike on Baghdad. But Sharon is likely to insist on Israel's right to respond should Iraq hit his country with chemical or biological weapons. Analysts believe Israel could even use its officially unacknowledged nuclear capability to hit Iraq if Baghdad launches weapons of mass destruction at its densely populated coastal plain. As in the previous war against Iraq led by his father, Bush wants Israel to keep a low profile as he tries to win backing from Arab states hostile to Israel. He also wants Sharon to ease the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living under curfew in the West Bank, reoccupied since June in a move that has left the 1993 Oslo peace accords in ruins. Peres said that the army had begun a partial withdrawal from reoccupied Palestinian areas of the flashpoint town of Hebron -- where 600 Jewish settlers live in the midst of 120,000 Palestinians -- but the Palestinians denied any redeployment had been made. As the two sides argued about troop dispositions in Hebron, reports emerged in the Israeli press that the Palestinian interior minister himself had used his VIP status to smuggle weapons at the start of the uprising two years ago. The Jerusalem Post said security officials accused Abdel Razaq al-Yehya, appointed in July, of having used his VIP status to have his drivers smuggle arms past Israeli guards on the Jordanian border without security checks up to 40 times between 2000 and 2001. Palestinian officials said Yehya's tenure could be in doubt anyway, as Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat prepares to announce a new cabinet line-up by the end of the week. Senior officials said he was likely to be replaced by Hani al-Hassan, a senior member of Arafat's Fatah faction, which supplies the bulk of policemen. Sharon told the Palestinian people to dump their "government of murder" if they wanted to move towards renewing the stalled peace process, in a speech before leaving for Washington. Meanwhile in the northern West Bank, 1,000 Jewish settlers turned out in violent protest against army plans to dismantle an unauthorised settlement outpost, part of the defence ministry's plans to get rid of 24 of the rogue communities designed to grow into fully fledged settlements, the main target of the Palestinian uprising. After hours of protest, in which journalists were attacked and cars smashed, the settler crowds agreed to leave, although the army made no immediate move to dismantle the four-caravan outpost. ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/af/Qus-lebanon-israel-water.R1oa_COG.html US water expert returns to Washington as Israel-Lebanon dispute heats up -...Lawson returned as the tensions grew between Israel and Lebanon with Beirut's inauguration of water project near the border that the Jewish state has warned could be a cause for war. -The United States decided not to send a representative to the inauguration "in keeping with our position that any unilateral action by either party only undermines efforts made to reach an understanding on the issue," Reside said. WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (AFP) - A US hydraulics expert attempting to mediate an Israeli-Lebanese water dispute returned to Washington on Wednesday as the conflict between the two countries heated up, the State Department said. Charles Lawson, a Middle East science and technology officer, "is briefing senior officials on the results of his visit," said n spokeswoman Julie Reside. "We hope that these efforts will help to calm the situation and reach a peaceful resolution," she said. However, Lawson returned as the tensions grew between Israel and Lebanon with Beirut's inauguration of water project near the border that the Jewish state has warned could be a cause for war. The project aims to provide water to border villages from the Wazzani river which flows from Lebanon into Israel where it joins the Jordan River, which feeds into the Sea of Galilee, Israel's main source of fresh water. The project was inaugurated on Wednesday in the presence of European and UN envoys, but notably no US representatives. The United States decided not to send a representative to the inauguration "in keeping with our position that any unilateral action by either party only undermines efforts made to reach an understanding on the issue," Reside said. "We very much want to see this dispute resolved fairly and peacefully and, to that end, we are continuing to work closely with Israel and Lebanon in conjunction with the United Nations the European Union and others," she said. Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told parliament that Israel would not tolerate any unilateral measures by Lebanon over the pumping of water from the Wazzani. Israel "reserves the right to defend its water resources in line with international law," he said. On the eve of the inauguration, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, chief of the Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah, warned his guerrilla forces would retaliate "within minutes" if Israel targeted the water project. Hezbollah guerrillas, who were instrumental in forcing Israel's pullout from southern Lebanon after a 22-year occupation in May 2000, still exercise military control over the southern border zone. Last week, Lebanon delivered a report to the UN Security Council saying the total amount of water diverted would amount to 10 million cubic meters (325 million cubic feet) a year. The figure is much less than the 35 million cubic meters (1.235 billion cubic feet) granted to Lebanon under an unratified 1955 agreement, Beirut pointed out. ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/ai/Qlebanon-israel-water-run.RPRP_COG.html Lebanon inaugurates water project despite Israeli warnings Salim Yassine -Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon warned last month that the project could be a cause for war. On Wednesday, his foreign minister, Shimon Peres, told parliament that Israel would not tolerate any unilateral measures by Lebanon over the pumping of waters from the Wazzani. Israel "reserves the right to defend its water resources in line with international law," he said. -Lebanon respects international laws. There is no conflict, Lebanon is only exercising its rights on its own soil." WAZZANI, Lebanon, Oct 16 (AFP) - A water project in southern Lebanon that neighbouring Israel has warned could be grounds for war was inaugurated on Wednesday in the presence of European and UN envoys, but notably no US diplomats. "In the name of the Lebanese people, I declare the opening of the pumping station," said parliament speaker Nabih Berri, prompting applause from a crowd of more than 7,000 officials and local residents attending the ceremony. The inauguration of the project near the border with Israel came on the eve of the arrival in Beirut of French President Jacques Chirac for a summit of French-speaking nations. The project aims to provide water to border villages from the Wazzani river which flows from Lebanon into Israel where it joins the Jordan River, which feeds into the Sea of Galilee, Israel's main source of fresh water. After the release of red, white and green balloons representing the Lebanese flag and which floated toward the northern Israeli sky, Berri and President Emile Lahoud jointly started the pumps. The crowds cheered when Lahoud drank fresh water from the palm of his hand before youngsters splashed each others. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon warned last month that the project could be a cause for war. On Wednesday, his foreign minister, Shimon Peres, told parliament that Israel would not tolerate any unilateral measures by Lebanon over the pumping of waters from the Wazzani. Israel "reserves the right to defend its water resources in line with international law," he said. Asked about the Israeli threats, however, Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri told reporters Wednesday that "the assurances that have reached us go in the opposite direction." "The language of reason has prevailed," said Hariri, adding that "the Wazzani water pumping is a victory for Lebanon, its diplomatic efforts deployed with the help of the United Nations, the United States and the European Union." On the eve of the inauguration, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, chief of the Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah, warned his guerrilla forces would retaliate "within minutes" if Israel targeted the water project. Hezbollah guerrillas, who were instrumental in forcing Israel's pullout from southern Lebanon after a 22-year occupation in May 2000, still exercise military control over the southern border zone. The inauguration was attended by Lebanese government ministers and deputies, Christian and Muslim religious leaders as well as representatives from the United Nations, the European Union, France, Britain and Russia. Washington decided to boycott the ceremony "in keeping with our position that unilateral action by either party undermines efforts to reach an understanding," a US diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity. "We very much want the dispute to be solved peacefully and fairly. To that end we continue to work closely with the governments of Lebanon and Israel in conjunction with the UN, the EU and others," the diplomat added. During the ceremony, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said "Lebanon's position remains unchanged, whether they assist or not." "Lebanon respects international laws. There is no conflict, Lebanon is only exercising its rights on its own soil," he said. The European Union on Monday offered a comprehensive development plan for southern Lebanon to help ease the crisis with Israel, a plan which Hariri said could spread over 10 years. Last week, Lebanon delivered a report to the UN Security Council saying the total amount of water diverted would amount to 10 million cubic meters (325 million cubic feet) a year. The figure is much less than the 35 million cubic meters (1.235 billion cubic feet) granted to Lebanon under an unratified 1955 agreement, Beirut pointed out. Since Sharon threatened war over the issue last month, US State Department hydraulics expert Charles Lawson has been meeting with officials on both sides in an effort to prevent an escalation. But the war of words between Lebanon and Israel seems to have toned down in recent days with mediation missions to the region by the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia. In Cairo, Arab League chief Amr Mussa congratulated Lebanon on the opening of the water project and pledged the support of the organisation's 22 members in the face of Israeli threats. ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/cx/Qlebanon-israel-water-us.Rp7S_COG.html US boycotts Lebanon's inauguration of water project opposed by Israel BEIRUT, Oct 16 (AFP) - The United States was to set to boycott Wednesday Lebanon's inauguration of a water project strongly opposed by Israel, even though the ceremony was to be attended by European Union and Russian representatives. "We chose not to send a representative in keeping with our position that unilateral action by either party undermines efforts to reach an understanding, " a US diplomat told AFP, requesting anonymity. "We very much want the dispute to be solved peacefully and fairly," the diplomat said, referring to Israel's opposition to the pipeline project which has diverted some of the Wazzani River's waters to 20 southern villages. "To that end we continue to work closely with the governments of Lebanon and Israel in conjunction with the UN, the EU and others," the diplomat added. The ceremony was to be opened by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, and attended by a European Commission delegation as well as representatives from the European Union and Russia. A spokesman for the British embassy said the "EU supports the economic development of the south," which was occupied by Israel for 22 years until a troop pullout in May 2000. The European Union on Monday offered a comprehensive development plan for southern Lebanon to help ease the crisis with Israel, a plan Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri said could spread over 10 years. Last week Lebanon delivered a report to the UN Security Council saying the total amount of water diverted would amount to 10 million cubic meters (325 million cubic feet) a year, much less than the 35 million cubic meters (1.235 billion cubic feet) granted to Lebanon under an unratified 1955 agreement. Since Israel's hardline prime minister, Ariel Sharon, threatened war over the issue last month, US State Department hydraulics expert Charles Lawson has been meeting with officials on both sides in an effort to prevent an escalation. The Wazzani is a tributary of the Hasbani which flows into the Sea of Galilee, Israel's main fresh water source. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? 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