UN Concerned About Syria-Lebanon Arms Shipments

By David Shelby
USINFO Staff Writer

Security Council Concerned About Syria-Lebanon Arms Shipments

The U.N. Security Council adopted a presidential statement August 3 expressing its concern over reports of arms shipments from Syria to nonstate armed groups in Lebanon in violation of Security Council Resolution 1701.

Among the provisions of resolution 1701, which put an end to a month of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in August 2006, the council declared that there should be no arms shipments to Lebanon except those approved by the Lebanese government.

In its August 3 statement, the council expressed "grave concern at persistent reports of breaches of the arms embargo along the Lebanon-Syria border" and reiterated that all U.N. member states have an obligation to enforce the embargo.

The council welcomed statements from the Syrian government that it has taken measures to control the border and called on Damascus to do more in that regard.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters in New York the statement sends "a strong message that Syria needs to do more ... to stop arms shipments across its border into Lebanon."

The Security Council's statement comes in the wake of claims by Hezbollah that it retains the military capacity to strike all parts of Israel.

A transcript of Khalizad's comments to reporters is available on the Web site of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

ENDS

(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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