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Lebanon demands billions in compensation |
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July 30, 2000
BEIRUT (AP) - Lebanon is preparing a complaint against Israel to be filed at the International Court of Justice seeking compensation for the lengthy occupation of southern Lebanon, according to a statement published Saturday. The official statement did not say how much money Lebanon would seek; reports vary from dlrs 30 billion to dlrs 40 billion. Prime Minister Salim Hoss chaired a meeting of legal experts and economists Friday to finalize plans for the complaint demanding compensation for "direct and indirect losses incurred on Lebanon as a result of repeated Israeli aggressions and occupation of Lebanese territory," the statement said. At its weekly meeting Wednesday, the Cabinet is expected to affirm proceeding with the case for compensation from Israel, newspapers reported. Israel invaded Lebanon in 1978 and had occupied a border strip since 1982 as a buffer against cross-border guerrilla attacks. It withdrew May 24. During the years of occupation, Israel responded to guerrilla efforts to dislodge the force with airstrikes on towns and villages in southern Lebanon. Since 1996, Israel also has targeted power stations, bridges and roads in Beirut and elsewhere in the country. International Court of Justice, based in The Hague, Netherlands, is the highest U.N. judicial body. It relies on the Security Council to enforce its rulings. |