Russia minister doubts UN peacekeepers can disarm Hizbollah
27/10/2006 15:29
MOSCOW, October 27 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's defense minister said Friday he was skeptical about UN peacekeepers' ability to force members of the Lebanon-based Islamist movement Hizbollah to lay down their arms.
"I have serious doubts the UN will be able to perform this function," Sergei Ivanov said.
Hizbollah disarmament is a major objective laid down in a ceasefire resolution adopted by the UN Security Council in mid-August to end a month of hostilities between the Islamist group and Israel, which claimed the lives of around 1,500 Lebanese civilians.
Under the resolution, the UN peacekeeping contingent in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, will be expanded to 15,000. The multinational force will assist the Lebanese army in regaining control of the area following Israel's withdrawal, creating a new buffer zone "free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the government of Lebanon and UNIFIL." However, the peacekeepers have no mandate to seize arms from Hizbollah militants, unless carried openly.
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