mercredi 9 mai 2007

Ban cites Hizbullah's arms as 'key' threat to government's authority

UN chief Ban Ki-moon enumerated ways in which Security Council Resolution 1559 had not been implemented in a report submitted to the council late Monday, placing the disarmament of Hizbullah, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and the holding of free and fair presidential elections atop the list of unfulfilled priorities.

It was the fifth semi-annual report on 1559 to be submitted to the council.

Ban reported that the continued possession of weapons by Hizbullah posed "a key challenge" to the Lebanese government's "monopoly on the legitimate use of force," and to the country's sovereignty.

Ban's report found little evidence to support assertions by Israel, however, that weapons are being funneled to Hizbullah through the border with Syria.

"UNIFIL received no reports of unauthorized armed personnel" and "has not detected illegal transfers of arms to areas south of the Litani," the report said, reiterating a passage from Ban's March 14 report on the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, which called for a cessation of hostilities in the summer 2006 war.

Ban likewise denied media speculation that Israel and other parties inside and outside the region were providing weaponry to groups aligned with the March 14 movement, saying the UN had no evidence to substantiate the claims.

"I reiterate my conviction that the disarmament of Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias must take place through a political process, which in the first instance depends on a resolution of the current political crisis and the establishment of dialogue and consensus," he said.

Ban took note of the many allegations concerning illegal arms trafficking and possible arming of Lebanese and non-Lebanese groups.

"All these are of great concern," the report said. "I am deeply worried the political crisis in Lebanon may be deepened and exacerbated by the allegations and related speculation."

The report pointed out that while Hizbullah has accused other groups of stockpiling weapons in secrecy, "it has publicly acknowledged remaining an armed militia in defiance of Resolution 1559."

Ban called on all parties "with the ability to influence Hizbullah to support its transformation into a solely political party." His report underscored the importance of cooperation by regional parties that maintain ties with Hizbullah.

In response to the report, Hizbullah MP Amin Cherri told The Daily Star that Hizbullah was itself concerned with illegal arming of certain Lebanese factions under the guise of "security companies." Hizbullah's arms were "in the service of Lebanon and the Lebanese" to protect against Israeli attacks, he said.

"There is no evidence of arms smuggling across the Syrian border, the Lebanese Army intelligence found no evidence nor has Israel with its sophisticated surveillance capabilities pro-vided by the US," Cherri said.

Concerning the issue of Palestinian arms outside refugee camps in Lebanon, which political leaders had agreed to abolish in national dialogue talks in the spring of 2006, Cherri said Hizbullah remained committed to the removal of all such weapons.

Source : The Daily Star