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- WORLD, Page 43World NotesLEBANONA Fragile Ray of Hope
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- After 15 years of a civil war that has claimed 150,000
- lives, Lebanon last week saw what could be the first glimmer
- of peace. Lebanese Army troops took full control of the capital
- for the first time since 1975 and dismantled the "green line,"
- which cut the city into Christian and Muslim sectors. Earlier,
- the last of the Christian forces loyal to Samir Geagea had
- pulled out of the city and moved north, near the port city of
- Jounieh, completing the first phase of a Syria-backed Arab
- League plan to free Beirut of all rival militias.
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- The war-weary Lebanese greeted the pullout warily. Fighting
- between rebellious militias scuttled efforts to unify Beirut
- in 1976 and 1984. Asked a commentator on a Beirut radio
- station: "What guarantees do we really have that history won't
- repeat itself?" The answer may come during the next phase of
- the peace plan, which calls for the government to disband the
- rival militias and implement a system that would address the
- concerns of both Muslims and Christians.
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