ereignty today than they did in the past. We have all heard Lebanon’s emphatic and repeated demands for the withdrawal of the Syrian forces and the PLO from its territory. Last year Lebanese President Amin Gemayel used the rostrum of the General Assembly to call for “the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all non- Lebanese forces from Lebanon”.2 70. In a letter to the Twelfth Arab Summit Conference, held at Fez in November 1981 and September 1982, Leba- non explicitly demanded the termination of the Syrian and PLO presence in that country. Lebanon reiterated its demands as recently as last month. On 2 September the Lebanese Foreign Minister wrote to the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States [S/25953, annex] insisting again on Syrian and PLO withdrawal. He repeated this demand in his statement in the general debate of the Gen- eral Assembly. 71. Yet all this has been to no avail. Not only has Syria paid no heed to these demands, but it has increased its involvement in Lebanon and is engaged in direct warfare against the legitimate Government of that country. Presi- dent Hafez Al-Assad, backed diplomatically and militarily by the Soviet Union, and assisted by Palestinian terrorists, continues his ruthless operations to keep Lebanon in disar- ray in an attempt to force Lebanon to submit to Syrian domination. Resorting to its well known tactics of threats and extortion, Syria continues to undermine Lebanon’s path to regaining its sovereignty. This is pursued by Syria directly. or by proxy, and its uninhibited brutality stops short of nothing. 72. Israel’s withdrawal from the Shouf mountains, a first step in the direction of total withdrawal, was announced well in advance in order to provide the Lebanese Govem- ment and army with a chance to extend its control over that 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be focused on the political situation in Lebanon, specifically the demands for sovereignty and the actions of Syria and the PLO in the country. The language used is formal and diplomatic, suggesting that the text may be a official document or speech. The topics discussed are primarily related to international relations, politics, and conflict resolution.

**Category**
International relations, Humanitarian aid and relief