KUN0011 4 GEN 0475 FRANCE /AFP -NBQ3 GEO-LEBANON-LITANI-REPORT Litani River: a major player in conflicts By: Ali Al-Nasser KUWAIT, Aug 15 (KUNA) --The area south of the Litani River and north of the Blue Line, the southern Litani area, has been decisive point of reference in and host for many fragile agreements in the past. Friday's unanimous UN resolution 1701 demanded a cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon and the creation of an "area free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL" in the southern Litani area. The Southern Litani is the area that extends from south of the Litani River to the Blue Line drawn by the United Nations in 2000 following the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon to mark a border between Israel and Lebanon. The Litani River, a major Lebanese river, flows into the Mediterranean about 70 kilometers south of Beirut. The area between the Litani River and the Blue Line at its widest is 28 kilometers at Ramish in the central section of the river and narrowest at six kilometers in Isbaa Al-Jalil in the east-most part of the river. The Israeli-Lebanese borders extend from Shebaa Farms on the east till Raas El-Naqoura on the west, about 76 kilometers long. The sea coast south of the Litani River is around 30 kilometers long. The southern Litani area in full is around 850 kilometers squared, populated with an estimated 200,000 residents of which 75 percent are Shiite Muslims. Of Lebanon's 128 MPs, nine Shiite MPs represent the area alongside the three other MPs representing the area's 25 percent minorities. The UNIFIL has had a presence in the area for about 28 years, following the passing of UN resolution 425 in 1978. In 1978, the Litani was the title of an Israeli operation, "Operation Litani". Hundreds of Lebanese were killed during that operation and around 250, 000 people were displaced. The Israeli army carved a security strip in the area that was controlled for three months. The security strip ranged from 23 to 10 kilometers wide. In 1982 Israel began an occupation that lasted 18 years, during that time Israel redirected the river's waters to Al-Jalil due to waters' significance in the conflict. The 170-kilometer-long river is a vital water source for Lebanon. Much of the country's agricultural plans for southern Lebanon rely on the river to irrigate the 54,000 hectares and provide water for 264 towns inhabited by a fifth of the Lebanese population, around 794,000 people. During this most recent conflict, Hezbollah forces are required to pull north of the Litani River by UN resolution 1701. The resolution demands that around 15,000 UNIFIL forces and 15,000 Lebanese army personnel establish a presence in the area and the Israeli forces withdraw into Israel as demarcated by the Blue Line.(end) an.gs.go KUNA 151052 Aug 06NNNN