Tuesday, October 31, 2006

LEBANON CEASE-FIRE: SYRIA/IRAN CHEATING; ISRAEL NOT

U.S.: Syria and Iran Violating UN Arms Embargo in Lebanon - Edith M. Lederer
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton accused Syria and Iran on Monday of trying to destabilize Lebanon's democratically elected government by violating a UN arms embargo. Terje Roed-Larsen, the top UN envoy for Syria-Lebanon issues, said representatives of the Lebanese government "have stated publicly and also in conversations with us that there has been arms coming across the border into Lebanon." Roed-Larsen also said there had been 14 assassinations and assassination attempts in Lebanon since the February 2005 killing of former prime minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut. (AP/Washington Post)

See also U.S.: Israel Has Implemented Lebanon Cease-Fire "Fully and Faithfully" - George Salibi
In an interview with New TV in Lebanon on Friday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch said: "Israel has not been in any part of Lebanon since the year 2000, when it withdrew...and that withdrawal was confirmed by the UN....There is a disagreement as to whether a certain part of Lebanon - Shebaa - is actually Lebanese or Syrian territory. The way to resolve that is for Lebanon and Syria to agree on the delineation and then the demarcation of the border in that area, so that everybody will understand whether it's Lebanese or Syrian. And then that matter can be addressed, depending on what the outcome is."

"What happened...on July 12 is what changed the situation. Hizballah attacked across the border - not in the Shebaa Farms area, by the way, in another area - and this intervention into Israel brought about the conflict....I believe that [UN] Resolution 1701 [that was passed to bring a cessation of hostilities] is being implemented fully and faithfully by Israel." (Daily Star-Lebanon)

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