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Lebanese and U.N. French army personnel firing from artillery vehicles during a live training exercise near UNIFIL headquarters in southern Lebanon. (Reuters)
Last update - 23:48 26/10/2008
Barak to UNIFIL: Hezbollah arms smuggling violates UN resolution 1701
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service
Tags: U.S., Israel News, Hezbollah 

Defense Minister Ehud Barak met Sunday with the commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to protest Hezbollah's continued arms smuggling from Syria, in violation of Security Council Resolution 1701.

Barak said the Israel Defense Forces is closely monitoring the Lebanon border, and has seen Hezbollah gaining strength over the past two years, with close Syrian assistance. "The repeated violation of 1701 could lead us to upset of the delicate balance that exists in Lebanon, and it poses a substantive danger to the entire region," Barak said.

Resolution 1701 calls or a full cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, who engaged in a month-long conflict in southern Lebanon during the summer of 2006. The resolution also calls for withdrawal of both Israeli and Hezbollah troops from southern Lebanon, to be replaced by UNIFIL peacekeeping troops. It also requires Hezbollah to disarm.
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The UNIFIL commander met with IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi on Thursday, who similarly complained to the visiting UNIFIL commander about continued arms smuggling. The two also discussed Israel's withdrawal from the divided border town of Ghajar.

NY Times: U.S. providing light arms to Lebanese military

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported Saturday that the United States is providing light arms and brand new equipment to the Lebanese army in line with its policy of supporting the Western-backed Beirut government.

Officials in the Pentagon and State Department are weighing a Lebanese request for far more substantial weaponry, including tanks, anti-tank missiles and an air defense system to deter Israeli air force sorties in Lebanese airspace, though significant arms sales require that Congress be officially notified, the Times reported.

Israeli officials have conveyed their concerns to the Bush administration that any weapons delivered to the Lebanese army may eventually fall into the hands of the Shi'ite terrorist organization Hezbollah, which has seen its political standing in the country enhanced in recent months, according to The New York Times.

The Times reported that thus far the Americans have provided the Lebanese less than half of the $410 million worth of weapons Washington pledged to deliver in 2006. Wrangling among officials in the Pentagon and the State Department have delayed the pace of the weapons transfers, frustrating Lebanese military officials, the Times reported.

Lebanese and American military officials told the Times that the U.S. has so far provided light weapons, spare parts, Humvees, rifles, grenade launchers, and ammunition.

Lebanon is anxious to upgrade its antiquated fleet of tanks as well as provide night-vision equipment for its soldiers patrolling the border areas, the Times reported.

Talks between the Bush administration and the Lebanese government over the precise nature of further military aid packages are still ongoing, according to the New York Times.

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      1.   reasonable 03:15  |  potobac 26/10/08
      2.   To Potobac: Lebanon never attack Israel ... really? 03:34  |  David LG 26/10/08
      3.   I agree, however... 03:36  |  Omer Friedman 26/10/08
      4.   To Omer Friedman 03:46  |  David LG 26/10/08
      5.   Arms to Lebanese 03:57  |  howiej 26/10/08
      6.   condi seeking post in potential obama administration 03:57  |  Arie 26/10/08
      7.   Arms to Lebanon? 04:27  |  Jasper 26/10/08
      8.   making the lebanese armed forces strong 05:11  |  lebanese american 26/10/08
      9.   david lg 2 05:48  |  potobac 26/10/08
      10.   Lebanon is Hezbollah...Hezbollah is Lebanon!!!! 07:54  |  Ben Yeppi 26/10/08
      11.   Classic, not Antique 07:55  |  Mark of Lewiston 26/10/08
      12.   Potobac epitomizes the reason we should avoid int`l opinion 08:16  |  Michael 26/10/08
      13.   Reason for Hizbullah`s strength 09:08  |  Lebanese Australian 26/10/08
      14.   American taxpayers should not buy weapons for foreign nations 09:14  |  Natallie Durson 26/10/08
      15.   1 Potobac - are you really that delusional? 09:23  |  Ibn Musa 26/10/08
      16.   the only reason hizballah is so strong because... 09:25  |  david K. 26/10/08
      17.   #10 you israelis do not understand the simple word "democracy" 09:28  |  antoine 26/10/08
      18.   To David LG 09:43  |  Omer Friedman 26/10/08
      19.   CONTINUED 09:50  |  Omer Friedman 26/10/08
      20.   michael 10:31  |  potobac 26/10/08
      21.   ibn musa 10:34  |  potobac 26/10/08
      22.   Mmmm? 10:45  |  Yosemite 26/10/08
      23.   TO NO. 13 - ISRAEL HAS THE RIGHT! 12:06  |  Khaled 26/10/08
      24.   TO NO 17 - YOU REALLY CRACK ME UP! 12:13  |  Khaled 26/10/08
      25.   Like Hezbollah would be interested in decades old 12:19  |  Kris Lazar 26/10/08
      26.   21 Potobac - Not much has happened recently 13:33  |  Ibn Musa 26/10/08
      27.   It doesn`t matter Potobac 14:03  |  Michael 26/10/08
      28.   Stop reading al Jazeera Lebanese Australian 14:07  |  Michael 26/10/08
      29.   michael 26 16:29  |  potobac 26/10/08
      30.   29 Potobac, you`re confused more than usual 17:01  |  Ibn Musa 26/10/08
      31.   TO Khaled #23 17:09  |  samir 26/10/08
      32.   Rediculous 17:18  |  zaz 26/10/08
      33.   #31 Samir 20:35  |  Jasper 26/10/08
      34.   What Israeli taxpayers pay, including this newspaper 21:22  |  Israeli citizen 26/10/08
      35.   Antoine, # 17, do you understand the simple word "free market"? 21:25  |  Israeli citizen 26/10/08
      36.   My! Oh my! Oh my! 22:32  |  Jim 26/10/08
      37.   Who is Barak complaining to about Hamas arms smuggling, Mubarak? 22:47  |  complaints dep`t. 26/10/08
      38.   And dumb ars Barak is just figurin this out 22:48  |  Jesus! 26/10/08
      39.   Help Ehud! Worry Nazrallah!! 23:13  |  Jim 26/10/08
      40.   #14 Natalie Durson 23:28  |  Jim 26/10/08
      41.   Kind of academic 00:01  |  Colin Wright 27/10/08
      42.   To Michael in Jerusalem 00:04  |  Lebanese Australian 27/10/08
      43.   #28 Michael 00:06  |  Jim 27/10/08
      44.   #34 `What Israeli citizens pay...` 00:07  |  Colin Wright 27/10/08
      45.   #33 Jasper from Milwaukee 00:36  |  Jim 27/10/08
      46.   nu 42 you wrong wright 01:15  |  right wrong 27/10/08
      47.   Yes, No, and No 01:33  |  Johnboy 27/10/08
      48.   #41 Not strictly true, Colin 02:27  |  Johnboy 27/10/08
      49.   you know the funniest past of this situation.... 03:52  |  funnything 27/10/08
      50.   #33 Jasper 04:06  |  Samir 27/10/08
      51.   TO 50 - SAMIR 08:47  |  Khaled 27/10/08
      52.   to 51 - Khaled 13:06  |  Lebanese Aussie 27/10/08
      53.   TO 52 - LEB AUSSIE 13:57  |  Khaled 27/10/08
      54.   24 hours for israel, 24 months for lebanon 04:47  |  VIPER 29/10/08
      55.   #28, MICHAEL, and you were there on the spot? 04:52  |  VIPER 29/10/08
      56.   #53, KHALED, WHOOOOOA THERE TONTO 04:59  |  VIPER 29/10/08
      57.   As if the Hizzies would event want these weapons?? 06:46  |  Jimmy 29/10/08
      58.   55 VIPER Michael may have not been there 15:14  |  Ibn Musa 29/10/08
      59.   #58, IBN TIZE 01:27  |  VIPER 30/10/08
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