Last update - 00:00 24/08/2007
UN votes to extend UNIFIL mandate in southern Lebanon
By Shlomo Shamir and the Associated Press
The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously on Friday to extend by one year the mandate of the 13,600-strong UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, and called for a permanent cease-fire and long-term solution to last summer's Second Lebanon War.
The resolution to keep the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stationed in the Hezbollah stronghold of southern Lebanon was formulated by France with the cooperation of the United States.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Saniora sent a letter asking the council to renew the mandate of the force for a year. The resolution extends it to August 31, 2008.
France's deputy UN ambassador Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the vote reflects the council's full support for the force, adding that UNIFIL continues to operate in a difficult and unstable environment.
The resolution also calls for the "immediate and unconditional" release of Israel Defense Forces reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, who were abducted by Hezbollah guerillas in a cross-border raid in July of last year. The incident sparked the Second Lebanon War.
The resolution criticizes Hezbollah's refusal to release information on whether or not the soldiers are alive. It also encouraged a solution to be found for Lebanon prisoners held inside Israel.
The resolution, drawn largely from recommendations submitted in July by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, commends UNIFIL's positive role, with Lebanese troops, in helping to establish a new strategic environment in southern Lebanon. Members said they look forward to increased cooperation between the UN and Lebanese forces.
Some 15,000 Lebanese troops are deployed along with the the UNIFIL force along Lebanon's border with Israel to enforce the Security Council resolution that ended the war.
The resolution calls on all parties to respect the cessation of hostilities and the UN-drawn Blue Line boundary between Israel and Lebanon. The language was softened from an "appeal" to a "call" in the final text.
Earlier this month, the council expressed grave concern at reports of arms smuggling to Lebanon, but dropped a direct call to Syria and Iran to enforce a UN arms embargo. Instead, the statement underscored the obligation of all countries, in particular in the region, to ensure that the arms embargo is not violated.
The council also expressed concern at allegations that Lebanese and other groups and militias are rearming, and voiced deep concern about recent statements by Hezbollah that it retains the military capacity to strike all parts of Israel.
U.S. deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff said a bombing attack in June that killed six Spanish peacekeepers, along with a June 17 rocket attack against Israel, demonstrate that there are unauthorized armed elements and weapons in south Lebanon, and that they pose a danger both to regional stability and to the safety of UN personnel.
He urged UN and Lebanese troops to establish joint patrols to prevent weapons smuggling and called for full implementation of a 2005 resolution demanding that all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias be disbanded and disarmed, saying peace will never be secured until this call is met.
Russia's deputy UN ambassador Igor Shcherbak welcomed the extension of the UNIFIL mandate, calling it a great step towards strengthening the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. At the same time, however, he said the question of the smuggling of weapons does not relate to the resolution.
South Africa also objected to several clauses it said were unnecessary. It called the decision is too far-reaching and expressed opposition to the mention of the abducted soldiers.
Israeli sources in the United Nations said that the decision is, for the most part, positive for Israel. It did not mention Israel Air Force flights over Lebanese skies, and just glosses over Israel's controversial use of cluster bombs during the war.
The decision mentions Security Council Resolution 1550, which calls for the dismantling of militias operating inside Lebanon.