JERUSALEM, March 15 (JTA) — The man who led Israel’s 1982 invasion into Lebanon has called for a phased Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Interviewed on Israel’s Channel Two Television, Israel’s national infrastructure minister, Ariel Sharon, proposed that Israel withdraw from southern Lebanon in phases and hold Lebanon responsible for security in the area. Under his plan, Israel would monitor the situation during the withdrawal and would retaliate if any attacks are launched on Israel from the zone. Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai has submitted a competing proposal, backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under which Israel would carry out a one-time withdrawal linked to Lebanese and international guarantees that there would be no cross-border attacks launched on northern Israel. The Israeli daily Ma’ariv cited senior sources in the government as expressing concern that Sharon’s proposal would undermine those efforts. In the Israeli daily Ha’aretz, analyst Ze’ev Schiff wrote that Sharon’s proposal could have two political objectives: to separate discussion of southern Lebanon and the Golan Heights before public pressure builds; and to undermine the Mordechai’s proposal, which could involve the participation of the United States and the United Nations. Both Syria and Lebanon, saying any Israeli withdrawal must be unconditional, have rejected Mordechai’s proposal. Israeli security officials have said it is unlikely that Israel could reach any kind of agreement with Lebanon without Syria’s involvement. The French, from whom Israel has sought assistance in advancing the initiative, are believed to be unlikely to help move things forward without Syrian inclusion. Meanwhile, the secretary-general of the United Nations is denying reports that he has a plan for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Speaking in New York, Kofi Annan was quoted as saying that there already is a mediator for the Middle East — the United States. His remarks followed an Israeli media report that Annan was planning to bring with him a proposal for resolving the dispute over southern Lebanon when he visits the region later this week.
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