|
Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Friday that Jerusalem expects Lebanon to fully implement the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, including the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Livni said in an interview with the AP, "Lebanon has to exercise its sovereignty and disarm Hezbollah." This, she said, "is the test of the Lebanese government and the international community."
But both Beirut and the U.N., which has deployed thousands of troops to southern Lebanon, have said they will not forcibly disarm Hezbollah. Where they do appear to be cooperating, however, is in enforcing the arms embargo on the terror group.
"Enforcing the arms embargo is crucial," said Livni, because Israel knows that after this summer's 34-day conflict, "Hezbollah is weak in terms of arms."
According to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Syria has dropped its resistance to strict monitoring along its border with Lebanon, and is asking for help in playing a constructive role in the arms embargo.
Reuters quoted Steinmeier as saying, "Syria approached several EU states - also Germany and me personally - with a request for advice and assistance for the border controls on the Syrian side."
Most of Hezbollah's surface-to-surface and anti-tank missiles are believed to have entered Lebanon via the Syrian border and with the assistance of Damascus.
Hezbollah says that the bulk of its arsenal survived the war, making the embargo the least of the group's concerns at present.
Nevertheless, a top Hezbollah official told AFP Saturday that UN forces in Lebanon should limit their activity to protecting "the Lebanese and Lebanon's sovereignty" from Israel.
"Israel is seeking to have this force play a new role, in other words, to place it under its control," said Nabil Qaouk, commander of Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon.
Resolution 1701 stipulates that up to 15,000 UN peacekeepers are to "assist the Lebanese armed forces" in creating "an area free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the government of Lebanon" and UN forces in southern Lebanon.
 All Headline News |