Lebanon: No Israel collaborators amnesty

BEIRUT, Lebanon, July 28 (UPI) -- Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he opposed a possible draft law for granting amnesty to thousands of former collaborators with Israel.

Berri, who also heads the Shiite Amal Movement, was quoted Thursday in the daily As-Safir as saying he received a request for passing such a law from Christian Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir.

"This is a very dangerous matter, which we cannot approve at all," Berri said, noting that this could be tantamount to reconciling with Israel.

Thousands of former members of Israel's ex-surrogate militia, the South Lebanon Army fled to Israel when the latter pulled out from Lebanon in May 2000, fearing reprisals from the local population which fought the Israeli occupation.