UN Resolution 1701 has been breached again
Syria, Iran must honor embargo on arming Lebanese militias
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday called on Syria and Iran to respect an arms embargo on militias in Lebanon, and urged Damascus to better control its border with its neighbor.
A report submitted by Ban to the UN Security Council said that the two states are transferring anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons across the Syria-Lebanon border to militant group Hezbollah.
Ban also demanded support from Syria in efforts to disarm Palestinian armed groups outside Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
The UN chief expressed "deep concern" that Lebanon's ongoing internal political instability would hinder its implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the ceasefire agreement that ended the Second Lebanon War, which calls for the disarmament of all militant groups in the region near the country's border with Israel.
The UN chief submitted the report after receiving information from both Israel and Lebanon regarding blatant violations of the resolution.
Israeli sources had also informed Ban that Syria and Iran have been transferring sophisticated weaponry across the border on a weekly basis, including long-range rockets and anti-tank and anti-aircraft defence systems. Beirut briefed Ban on a sighting of four trucks laden with rockets heading for an outpost of the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command in Lebanon.
"Weapons shipments on this scale would allow Hezbollah to reach a level of armament equal to that of last year," the report says, referring to the Second Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah in July 2006.
The report said Syria has denied any involvement in the arms transfers into Lebanon.
"The Lebanon government has stated to me that it has a vital interest in controlling its borders to prevent the smuggling of arms, munitions and personnel into its territory," Ban said in the report.
"The Syrian Arab Republic, other regional states and the Islamic Republic of Iran have a particular responsibility to ensure that the provisions related to the arms embargo of resolution 1701 ... are fully respected," Ban said.
"I urge the Syrian Arab Republic to do more to control its border with Lebanon and look forward to specific proposals from the Syrian authorities," he said.
According to the report, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) also reported increased violations of Lebanese airspace by the Israel Air Force.
UN Resolution 1701 has been breached again
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