(8 May 2000) Arabic/Nat
The South Lebanon Army's commander, General Antoine Lahd has asked the Lebanese government to grant amnesty to his men, excluding himself, ahead of the July deadline for Israel to withdraw troops from the security zone in Southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese government and Hezbollah consider S-L-A members traitors and have threatened to carry out death sentences against them after Israel withdraws.
Lahd also told Israeli military officials that he might agree to disbanding the S-L-A and forming local civil guard units after the withdrawal.
Israel set up the buffer zone in South Lebanon in 1985 to try to prevent guerrilla attacks on its border towns.
The South Lebanon Army (S-L-A) has been stationed in the security zone, but has either left, or been forced out of several positions in recent months.
The Israeli government has said it will withdraw all it's soldiers from the region by the 7th of July.
The Lebanese government and the army have not yet decided whether the S-L-A will be asked to hand over the weapons as part of the withdrawal.
But the Maariv Lebanese newspaper reported on Monday that the army is already limiting its transfer of arms and ammunition to the S-L-A and considering collecting their heavy armaments.
The S-L-A's commander General Antoine Lahd told Israeli military officials that he might agree to disbanding the S-L-A and forming local civil guard units.
But he fears for the residents living in the security zone.
SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"The residents of the security zone have one of three choices. A: Thousands of them will have to leave the country and live inside or outside Israel. B: Or they will surrender to the Lebanese authority as traitors and bare the consequences on all levels including economical and social levels. C: Or carry weapons and defend themselves in order not to immigrate and in order to escape the prison and living in shame. But I see, your excellency, that the vast majority prefers to stay and fight."
SUPER CAPTION: General Antoine Lahd, S-L-A's commander
Lahd has also asked the Lebanese government to grant amnesty to his men.
He was referring to a 1991 amnesty law that pardoned militiamen across Lebanon for most crimes committed during the country's 1975-90 civil war, when state authority was non-existent.
Lahd said the same situation applies to the border areas "where there was no active presence of the state for more than a quarter of a century."
The Lebanese government and Hezbollah consider S-L-A members traitors and have threatened to carry out death sentences against them after Israel withdraws.
The commander also added that the responsibility is for his men's actions over the years and that the sought amnesty should exclude himself.
Lahd, a retired Lebanese army general, has been sentenced to death in absentia after being found guilty of treason by a Beirut military court.
His family lives in France and he is expected to join them if the S-L-A is dismantled and he leaves southern Lebanon.
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