Frattini fears Shebaa Farms excuse for Hezbollah’s arms
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini confirmed his belief that Italy could “cooperate positively” with the issue of the Shebaa Farms in “giving Israeli friends some suggestions to help them accept the proposal submitted by the United States,” which called for a studied demarcation of the Lebanese-Israeli border and the Israeli-Syrian border.
In an interview with an Italian daily, Frattini said the Shebaa Farms had been used as a pretext for Hezbollah to maintain its arms. “If we removed that excuse, it would also help the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora disarm all militias,” he added.
Frattini noted that Italy had always been able to talk to all parties in politics, pointing out that the Italian troops in the Unite Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) put Italy “in a position to talk to Hezbollah and the Siniora government in Lebanon, and with Syria and Israel on the other hand.”