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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| UN council extends mandate of S. Lebanon force |
| 2008-08-28 |
| UNITED NATIONS - The Security Council extended the mandate of U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon for a further year on Wednesday, but Israel and Lebanon accused each other of obstructing their work. Israeli and Lebanese envoys welcomed the unanimous council vote but traded charges of violating the U.N. resolution that set up a cease-fire in South Lebanon after a war two years ago between the Jewish state and the Lebanese Hezbollah Shi'ite Muslim group. Extending the mandate of the 13,000-strong UNIFIL force until Aug. 31, 2009, the Security Council called on all parties to respect the cease-fire and to cooperate with the United Nations to achieve a long-term solution. UNIFIL has been in Lebanon since 1978 but was beefed up after the 2006 war. Security Council Resolution 1701 also gave it tougher rules of engagement, charging it with keeping armed men and illicit weapons out of the area south of the Litani River. But Israeli Deputy Ambassador Daniel Carmon said there was a "presence and massive redeployment of armed Hezbollah elements ... both north and south of the Litani River" and a "continuous transfer of weapons from Iran and Syria to Hezbollah" in "blatant violation" of Resolution 1701. Carmon also took aim at a policy statement adopted by Lebanon's new unity government and backed by parliament on Aug. 12 that recognizes Hezbollah's right to use all means possible to regain Israeli-occupied land claimed by Lebanon. He told the council this "dangerous development" would complicate UNIFIL's ability to fulfill its mandate and "raises concerns of the commitment of the Lebanese government ... to extend its authority over all its territory." "We expect UNIFIL, under its renewed mandate, to exert its authority to take all necessary action, in areas of deployment of its forces, to ensure that its area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind," Carmon said. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 Well, its good to see that the UN is doing its part to hire the handicapped. Blind and deaf people can always find work in UNIFIL. |
| Posted by: Rambler in California 2008-08-28 12:43 |