23 May 2000
Security Council Endorses Plan for South Lebanon
(Gives general support for Annan's role for UNIFIL) (1390) By Judy Aita Washington File United Nations Correspondent United Nations -- With the rapid pullout of Israeli soldiers from southern Lebanon, the United Nations has moved quickly to fulfill its responsibility in the region to verify the pullout and enhance conditions for peace in the area. On May 23 the Security Council officially supported Secretary General Kofi Annan's report outlining the requirements of Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and other armed groups in Lebanon and their patrons, as well as the United Nations. His special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen was preparing to leave for the region after the meeting with a special team that included the head U.N. cartographer to verify the Israeli pullout. The secretary general said that the situation on the ground May 23 "is very calm ... the Israeli withdrawal continues and the U.N. troops, using the force mobile reserve, were able to move to the new area that the Israelis have withdrawn from and things are quiet." "We are demanding cooperation from state and non-state actors, including the Hezbollah," he said. "We demand cooperation from all. What is happening on the ground today is encouraging and I would expect that to continue." Strongly endorsing the secretary general's report, the Security Council called on all parties concerned to cooperate fully in implementing Annan's recommendations and "to exercise utmost restraint." In a presidential statement read by Council President Wang Yingfan at a formal meeting, the council said that it "shares the view of the secretary general that it is crucial that the states and other parties concerned do their part to calm the situation; ensure the safety of the civilian population and cooperate fully with the United Nations in its efforts to stabilize the situation, to restore international peace and security and to assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area following confirmation of withdrawal." U.S. Ambassador Nancy Soderberg said that the United States is "strongly supportive of the secretary general's intention and feels that the statement that was just adopted sends the special envoy back to the region with a very strong, clear mandate from Security Council to support the process." "The situation on the ground this morning seems calm and we're all hoping it does remain the situation," said Soderberg, who is a deputy U.S. representative to the Security Council. "Mr. Larsen and the verification team leaves tonight to begin that process," Soderberg said. "We're hoping they'll be able to verify very quickly and then the rest of the situation will move on from there. Today is the first important step in strongly endorsing that effort. And now it is time to let them get their work done." "For the first time in 22 years ... we are very close to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 425 which will lead to orderly withdrawal of Israeli forces and return of Lebanese authority in the area," Annan told journalists outside the Security Council chambers May 22. "We have indicated that by Israeli withdrawal we mean terrestrial, marine and air space." "I appeal to all parties to work with us in managing an orderly withdrawal so that there will be no more casualties in the region. The people in the region have suffered enough -- there have been too many deaths," he said. In a written report to the council the secretary general said the United Nations, "in a purely technical exercise" will identify a line conforming to the internally recognized boundary of Lebanon both with Israel and Syria based on the best available cartographic and other documentary material. The U.N. will then identify physical sites on the ground to confirm the Israeli withdrawal. However, the U.N. is not establishing an international border. U.N. officials said that at this time they are not able to determine how long it will take to verify the withdrawal, which must include the removal or destruction of tanks, artillery and mortars of the SLA. Whatever line the United Nations uses will be without prejudice to future border agreements between the member states concerned, Annan said. The secretary general said that UNIFIL immediately needs to increase the number of troops from the present level of 4,513 to approximately 5,600 to confirm the withdrawal. Once the withdrawal is verified, UNIFIL would have to be increased again in order to expand its area of operations, including manning the international border. UNIFIL will need two mechanized infantry battalions and more engineers, bringing UNIFIL to a total of eight battalions and support units to about 7,935 peacekeepers. The secretary general also said that it is the responsibility of Israel to ensure that the South Lebanon Army (SLA), which is funded and supplied by the Israeli Defense Forces, ceases to exist in order for the withdrawal to be considered complete. From Lebanon, the secretary general has asked for decisive and prompt action by the government to resume public services as well as law and order functions throughout the area, the report said. From Syria, the U.N. will require "full cooperation on all relevant matters, including in identifying on the ground that portion of the Lebanese-Syrian boundary necessary to confirming the withdrawal," the report said. "Lebanese and other armed groups in Lebanon and member states having influence over them must provide their cooperation and support to UNIFIL to implement resolution 425," Annan said in the report. "Only with the support of all parties concerned will it be possible for peace and security to be restored in southern Lebanon." "I must also emphasize that before, during and after the withdrawal, all interested parties should exercise maximum restraint both in their actions and in their public statements. It is vital to avoid action or rhetoric that could lead to an escalation of tensions during such a sensitive period," he said. "If the conditions identified in this report do not materialize in a timely manner, UNIFIL would not be in a position to carry out its mandated tasks. In such a situation I would revert to the Security Council with recommendations, which, in the absence of viable alternatives, may have to include the withdrawal of UNIFIL," the secretary general said. Responding to a reporter's question on a possible UNIFIL withdrawal, Annan said that "you want us to be a punching bag in the middle with everybody taking pot shots at us and everybody will then blame the U.N. for everything we are not responsible for?" "We can only perform our work if the parties cooperate with us, if the parties honor their engagement. The U.N. has always been successful where the parties cooperate with us. Where they fail to cooperate and to work with us, we are not very likely to succeed -- and so we will continue to do our work if the situation permits," he said. Resolution 425, adopted in 1978, called on Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territory and established the U.N. Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL. On April 17, Israel informed the United Nations that it would withdraw its forces from Lebanon by July 2000 in accordance with the resolution and would cooperate fully with the United Nations. Before leaving for Lebanon, U.N. special envoy Roed-Larsen said, "evidently the withdrawal is taking place. Our task now is to see if the withdrawal is in full accordance with Security Council resolution 425 and then to assist the Government of Lebanon to restore its authority." "On the basis of what happened in the council today and what is happening on the ground we are in pretty good shape to fulfill our task," he said. "I leave for the region with a very strong document in my briefcase." "The two most important issues now are one, to see for the security of the population in the south and all civilians in the relevant areas and also for the troops of UNIFIL," Roed-Larsen said. "Secondly, we have to address immediately the issue of certifying the withdrawal as soon as possible and this will be one of the main tasks of my people," he said. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
