Israel reacted with skepticism Friday to Syria's commitment to stop the flow of weapons to Hezbollah.

"Israel does not think that Syria during the last conflict - both in helping Hezbollah by financing and arming them directly and the declarations during the conflict - and in its aftermath, has shown any reason to be a reliable force," government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said.

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"Syria continues to be a safe haven for terrorism," she added.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Friday that Syrian President Bashar
Assad had committed in a meeting between the two in Damascus to increase the number of its guards along the Lebanon-Syria border, and to establish joint patrols with the Lebanese army to prevent weapons from reaching Hezbollah.

Israel wants international troops to deploy on the Lebanon-Syrian border to enforce a halt in weapons shipments, but Annan said Assad reiterated his opposition to putting UN troops on the border.

UN resolution 1701, which expands the peacekeeping force in Lebanon, does not specify a mandate to place troops there, the force's spokesman in Lebanon, Alexander Ivanko said.

"We are not mandated to do this, but if the Lebanese army requests our assistance, that's something we'll look into," he said. "But no such requests are forthcoming as far as I know."

Syria does not have a direct say in whether UN troops can move on the Lebanese side of the border, but such a move would require approval of the Lebanese Cabinet - in which Hezbollah has two members.

A UN Security Council Resolution passed August 11 calls on countries to
prevent the sale or supply of weapons to Hezbollah without the consent of the Lebanese government or UN peacekeepers.

In his meeting with Assad, Annan also asked Syria to "use its influence" to help win the release of three Israel Defense Forces soldiers held by Lebanese and Palestinian militants allied with Damascus.

Syria will increase its own patrols along the Lebanon-Syria border, and establish joint patrols with the Lebanese army "when possible," Annan said after the meeting.

The UN resolution that halted fighting between Israel and Hezbollah calls
for an arms embargo on the guerrilla group, and for Lebanon to "secure its borders and other entry points."

Annan said Assad informed him that Syria would "take all necessary measures" to implement paragraph 15 of UN resolution 1701, which calls on countries to prevent the sale or supply of weapons to entities in Lebanon without the consent of the Lebanese government or UN peacekeepers.

"While stating Syria's objection to the presence of foreign forces along the Lebanese-Syrian borders, the president [Assad] committed to me that Syria shall take all necessary measures to implement in full paragraph 15 of resolution 1701," Annan said.

Syria already made it clear in a meeting between Foreign Minister Walid
Moallem and Annan late Thursday that it supports the cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon and the lifting of Israel's sea and air blockade of Lebanon.

But other parts of the August 11 resolution have yet to be dealt with, including securing Lebanon's eastern border to prevent the flow of arms to Hezbollah and settling the status of the border area.

Lebanon has its own forces along he frontier, and Annan said peacekeepers would be sent only if asked by Lebanon's government.

On Thursday, the first day of Annan's visit, he condemned the use of cluster bombs by the Israel Defense Forces.

"Those kinds of weapons shouldn't be used in civilian and populated areas," Annan said after a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah.

Annan said that during his visit to Israel he demanded the authorities provide the UN with maps of the areas where such ordinance was used.

Cluster bombs explode while still in the air and disperse over a broad area. An estimated 10 percent of such bombs fail to explode. According to data presented Thursday by UN officials in Lebanon, since the cease-fire went into effect, 13 people have been killed and 59 wounded as a result of duds that exploded belatedly.

Annan's visit to Syria follows stops in Lebanon and Israel, where he demanded those governments respect and fully implement the UN Security Council resolution that ended a month of Hezbollah-Israel fighting on August 14.