Egyptian, Lebanese Presidents Denounce Israeli Troop Presence
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BEIRUT — Egypt’s president paid a key visit to Lebanon on Saturday, meeting with his Lebanese counterpart and expressing support for the guerrillas who are fighting Israeli occupation of a swath of southern Lebanon.
President Hosni Mubarak’s visit demonstrated the two nations’ solidarity in the face of recent Israeli airstrikes here.
Mubarak held talks with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud. In a joint statement, the two leaders said they support Lebanese guerrillas’ right to resist the Israeli troop presence in a region near the Israeli-Lebanese border.
“The resistance is a result, not a cause, of the occupation,” the leaders said.
Israeli troops occupy a swath of southern Lebanon to form what it says is a buffer to guard Israel’s northern communities against attacks from Hezbollah guerrillas.
The two leaders said peace in the Middle East requires Israel’s full withdrawal from occupied lands, including the occupied zone here, the Golan Heights and the Palestinian territories. They said the right of Palestinian refugees to return home is also crucial.
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