(The year 2000'. Actual Conversation on the Blue Line)
Madeline Albright to President Lahoud : "The Israelis pulled out, and we need you to ratify that so that we can proceed at the UN ..."
Lahoud: "but Mrs. Secretary, they have not ... I have an officer at the border who informs me that over a million sq. meters are still occupied..."
Albright: "... you sign off on the 'withdrawal... and I promise you, we'll deal with that later..."
Lahoud: "No, I will not ... Unless the withdrawal is complete, I will not allow it..."
Albright: " DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO? I am the representative of the government of the USA!"
Lahoud: "And I am very tired (after 3:00AM) and I need to go to bed... Goodnight!"
Most of the territory was later evacuated prior to ratification, but the government of Lebanon signed off "with reservations."
"... In a statement on Wednesday, Unifil said its investigators were still on the ground and that inquiries were continuing. “Unifil established, however, that the trees being cut by the Israeli Army are located south of the Blue Line on the Israeli side,” it said.
Unifil added that in the area in question, the Lebanese government had “some reservations concerning the Blue Line,” which was demarcated by the United Nations when Israel withdrew its forces from Lebanon in 2000, “as did the Israeli government at some other locations.”...."
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