Lebanese leaders conferred with President Hafez al-Assad of Syria yesterday on Israel's offer to end its 20-year occupation of south Lebanon in return for security guarantees. The Syrian Vice President, Mr Abdel Halim Khaddam, and Foreign Minister, Mr Faruq al-Shara, also attended the meeting in the north-western port city of Latakia with President Elias Hrawi of Lebanon, the Prime Minister, Mr Rafiq Hariri, and the parliamentary speaker, Mr Nabih Berri. The Syrian and Lebanese leaders were to discuss the best way of countering the "Israeli manoeuvres", Lebanese officials said earlier. Their meeting follows a written request from the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, on Friday to "seriously" study the offer made by the Israeli government early last month to withdraw from southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese Foreign Minister, Mr Fares Bweiz, rejected the US request on Saturday, saying that under Resolution 425 adopted by the UN Security Council in 1978 Israel had to pull out unconditionally.
He said he would send Ms Albright a formal reply after her request had been discussed with the Syrian president and the Lebanese cabinet.
Yesterday's meeting is the third summit the Lebanese and Syrian leaders have held in a month on the Israeli proposal. Lebanon and Syria have both dismissed the Israeli pullout offer as a "manoeuvre" aimed at separating the Lebanese and Syrians on the issue. Syria demands that any deal on Lebanon be tied to Israeli agreement to withdraw from the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981.
Also on the agenda for Monday's meeting with the Syrian president was an acrimonious dispute between the three Lebanese leaders over a bill to legalise civil marriage. (See above).