World Powers Concerned About Alleged Arms Smuggling to Lebanon
World powers have expressed concern over continued arms smuggling to Lebanon but welcomed formation of a national unity government in statements to the U.N. Security Council on the latest developments in the region.
U.S. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad on Tuesday expressed concern over what he said was continued weapons smuggling to Lebanon and Hizbullah”s announcement that it has rearmed.
He urged the international community to continue its efforts to fully implement Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701 and the Doha accord.
He also stressed the need for continued support to the Lebanese Armed Forces and urged "outside parties" to stop arming "illegal militias" in Lebanon.
On the Shebaa Farms area, Khalilzad said U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon should engage all involved parties in the issue.
"We think the resolution of Shebaa Farms is very important. It”s important for Lebanon, certainly. It”s also important for Israel and others, and we believe the Secretary-General should engage the parties, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria, to deal with the issue," he said.
Khalilzad also welcomed the formation of a national unity government and agreement to establish diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria.
The British ambassador, Sir John Sawers, told Council members that the formation of a national unity cabinet was "an important step in delivering on the Doha Agreement of last May and in promoting the long-term stability of Lebanon."
He said "Lebanon has the United Kingdom”s full support in tackling the important challenges that lie ahead" including the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Sawers said his country continues to support the "vital work" of U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon.
"It is important too that Lebanese militias are prevented from acquiring arms via Syrian territory and we will continue to provide support to the Lebanese Security Forces to increase their capacity for effective border management," he said.
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe, in his turn, said in a briefing to the Security Council that there were lately "a number of encouraging developments across the Middle East."
"We are particularly heartened by the progress in Lebanon, where a major step forward was taken with the announcement of a national unity cabinet," he said.
"The United Nations looks forward to working closely with the new government," he said.
Pascoe told the Council that the implementation of the key humanitarian elements of resolution 1701 – which helped end the fighting between Israel and Hizbullah two years ago – is an "important achievement," noting last week”s prisoner swap deal.
But he warned that the clashes in and around the northern port city of Tripoli between Mustaqbal partisans and Hizbullah followers could have implications for the country”s stability and security.
Lebanon”s Ambassador to the U.N. Nawaf Salam said Beirut was looking forward to bring to justice ex-Premier Rafik Hariri”s suspected assassins, adding that chief U.N. investigator Daniel Bellemare is now in a transitional stage before taking over as prosecutor of the international tribunal.
Salam also thanked Ban for the U.N. mediation in the prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hizbullah
He said Lebanese President Michel Suleiman would visit Damascus to hold talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad.