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| 11/06/2008 While the international community has recently shown "interest" in solving the issue of the occupied Shebaa Farms diplomatically, the head of Lebanon's caretaker government Fouad Saniora ratified a decision to renew the mission of UNIFIL forces in south Lebanon on June 5, ten days ahead of the mandate's expiration date.
Saniora however made some amendments. He approved a clause that was previously rejected by Lebanon because it stipulates establishing a so-called "secure and stable environment in south Lebanon.
According to the United Nations, a secure and stable environment means the absence of air, ground and sea raids as well as ceasefire on the borders. It guarantees that the southern Litani region is a weapons-free zone except for the arms of the Lebanese army and the UNIFIL. It also stipulates the participation of both the army and the UNIFIL in a three-party coordination team and arrange communications and coordination. However, Saniora's "secure and stable environment" gives Israeli violations to the Lebanese sovereignty international legitimacy.
"The new amendment states on forming a secure and stable environment in the south. Well, this is a terms that was completely and literally taken from the May 17 Accord. The new amendment also states on forming a security team comprising representatives from the Lebanese army, the Israeli army and the UNIFIL. The same article was also adopted in the notorious May 17 Agreement," Retired Brigadier General Amine Hoteit told Al-Manar.
"The most dangerous thing is that Israel, being an associate in control, can claim at any time that the security environment does not exist, which means that it can disengage from its commitments towards UN resolution 1701. In this case, violating Lebanon's sovereignty would be legal in the eyes of the international committee," Hoteit added.
Meanwhile, observers say Saniora's decision should not be viewed separately from the international community's endeavor to solve the occupied Shabaa Farms issue diplomatically. The observers also say that France and Britain's move in this context does not come out of the blue since it's mentioned in resolution 1701. "Arkoub and Shabaa Farms Residents' Committee stressed putting the occupied Shebaa Farms region under UN tutelage must not mean that it's not Lebanese or it will never gain back its Lebanese identity after its liberation.
The committee's head, Mohamad Hamdan, rejected transforming the farms into an international zone. "We don't mind that the UNIFIL secures the region after its liberation. But we have one condition; all state institutions should return to it, from police stations, to municipalities etc.. The residents can then return to their lands. We do not want the Israeli flag to be replaced by a UN flag." | 
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