Williams: Resolution 1701 Prevented Spread of Gaza Violence to Lebanon
U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 prevented an escalation between Israel and Hizbullah in south Lebanon during the Gaza war.
He told An Nahar and As Safir dailies in remarks published Thursday that if it were not for Resolution 1701, which ended the Israel-Hizbullah war in 2006, the situation in south Lebanon would have deteriorated as a result of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
"In the absence of UNIFIL any conflict would witness a large-scale escalation," Williams said.
He denied the world body knew the identity of militants who fired rockets from south Lebanon into Israel.
"UNIFIL is continuing its investigation," he said in the interview.
"Hizbullah is part of the Lebanese government which considered the launching of rockets dangerous … and a clear violation of Resolution 1701," Williams told the newspapers.
The firing of rockets and the Israeli retaliation were "clear violations of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701," he said.
However, Williams told the dailies that he was relieved that all sides worked "to contain the situation."
He said the world body does not intend to deploy international monitors on the Lebanese-Syrian border although the U.N. has sent two technical teams to assess the situation in 2007 and 2008 and make recommendations.
He said Premier Fouad Saniora has informed him that the government began preparing a strategy to manage the common border.
Asked about Syria”s role in the border issue, Williams said: "Lebanon should first prepare its strategy on the border with Syria and then cooperation begins with Syria."
He said the U.N. did not have decisive proof on the issue of arms smuggling to Hizbullah. At the same time, the Shiite group, Williams said, has declared that it continued to rearm after the July 2006 war.
About the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms area, Williams said that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem informed him a few months ago that the territory is Lebanese.
Muallem also told him he would reveal the Lebanese identity of Shebaa in his next report to U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon.
"However, we wish for more cooperation from Syria which has important documents in its archives," he said.
He told his interviewers that Syrian President Bashar Assad and Muallem hinted to him that the issue of Shebaa would be resolved when a peace deal is signed with Israel.
"I wish negotiations (between Syria and Israel) would resume after the end of war in Gaza," Williams said.
He said finding a solution to the issue of the Shebaa Farms was easier than solving the problem of the border village of Ghajar. "Part of Ghajar is in Lebanon and the other part is in Israel. The situation of the Shebaa Farms is easier because it is uninhabited."
Williams said he would soon go to Israel along with UNIFIL Commander Gen. Claudio Graziano to discuss a plan that calls for the withdrawal of Israeli troops to the Blue Line and putting Ghajar under the guardianship of UNIFIL.
About the international tribunal that would try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri”s suspected assassins, Williams said: "From now on no one can hold back its work. International courts of this sort take time and this is natural."
Williams said he expected the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7 to be transparent and free from violence.