(23 May 2001)
Marjayoun
1. Wide of Marjayoun village (SLA base)
2. Marjayoun square
3. Various of Marjayoun village
4. Various street scenes in Marjayoun
5. Wide of Marjayoun military brigade (Former SLA military brigade)
6. Close up shot of Marjayoun brigade
7. Family of SLA prisoners gathered outside their home in Marjayoun
8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Claudine Abou Karam, mother of three SLA members: "Our situation is of course not good because our children are in prison and we suffer a lot to go and see them. I have three children in prison and I need an income. If I want to go to Roumieh prison twice a week, I need 400 dollars"
9. Cutaway, picture of Claudine's dead husband
10. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Clautine Abou Samra, woman whose family fled to Israel:
"After they entered Israel, we lost all contact with them. We do not want them to be left there. We want them to return to Lebanon. We don't want them in Israel. The Lebanese state abandoned us for 25 years, that country came to us. We could not decide whether by yes or by no."
11. Cutaway Clautine's hands
12. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Clautine Abou Samra (family fled to Israel)
"Our life is very miserable. Since Israel withdrew from here and the Lebanese forces entered the region, nobody has enquired about us. No minister asked us what we need. Not even the Lebanese President - he did not ask about us. We are abandoned."
Beirut
13. Wide of the military court in Beirut
14. Close up on people enquiring about names of tried SLA members
15. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Ghazi Aridi, Information minister: "In general, the Lebanese State was very fair in its judgements in order to maintain stability in the South."
16. Various of Hezbollah flag planted on deserted SLA outposts in former security zone
File
17. Various of UN buses carrying people returning back from Israel
18. Various of reunions
19. Lebanese forces arresting SLA members and putting them in buses
20. Ex-SLA members hiding their faces from cameras
STORYLINE:
May 25 is the first official anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.
While the rest of Lebanon celebrates, many of those who had contact with Israel during the occupation have little to smile about - many are in prison and others live in fear and poverty .
Claudine Abou Karam's three sons are in prison for collaborating with Israel.
Now that she has nobody left to support her she is encountering financial difficulties.
During the Israeli occupation, more than 4,000 Lebanese worked in Israel in agriculture, hotels and restaurants or as construction labourers.
Many used to cross the border daily using special permits to earn salaries equivalent to 600 US dollars a month, about average in Lebanon but high for the occupied zone.
In addition, the 2,500 SLA members each received a minimum of 400 US dollars a month.
Israel withdrew its army from Lebanon on May 24 - six weeks before a self-declared deadline - and the SLA disintegrated the following day without resistance.
About 1,500 of the militia's 2,500 members surrendered to authorities and are awaiting trial.
The rest fled to Israel with their families, bringing the total of refugees living across the border to 6,000.
For Clautine Abou Samra, most of whose relatives fled to Israeli just before the Israeli army deserted the border zone in fear of Hezbollah revenge, leaving one's own country is a huge mistake.
She blames the Lebanese state for not taking care of the former security zone's residents after the Israeli withdrawal which left them with no money and no jobs.
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