<span class="t13"><b>U.S. pledge to Israel on Shaba enabled breakthrough<br><br></b>Haaretz
Diplomatic Correspondent Aluf Benn reports that an agreement reached
between Israel and the United States on the disputed Shaba Farms area,
located on Israel's border with Lebanon, enabled a breakthrough in
reaching a cease-fire resolution at the United Nations on Friday.<br><br>In
letters exchanged between U.S. and Israeli leaders, U.S. officials
assured Israel that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan would be authorized
to determine whether the area belongs to Lebanon or Syria, but that the
future status of the territory would only be determined in negotiations
between Israel and Farms' rightful owners.<br><br>A senior government
source said that Israel would not be obligated to withdraw from Shaba
Farms, even if Annan's investigation determines that they belong to
Lebanon.<br><br>In the negotiations that preceded the cease-fire deal,
Lebanon demanded that Israel hand over Shaba Farms as a "deposit" to
the UN, with the small strip of territory later to be given to either
Lebanon or Syria, according to the results of Annan's investigation</span>