(Ha'aretz) Aluf Benn - Israel is lobbying to have the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reduced in size, saying that the organization collaborates with Hizballah. "The UN is in fact collaborating with a terrorist organization," says a political source in Jerusalem. "This is an intolerable situation, when the UN speaks at the same time of fighting terror." In many places along the Israel-Lebanon border, Hizballah has positions adjacent to UNIFIL positions, and deployment of the force serves as an excuse for the Lebanese government not to deploy in the south, as required by UN Security Council resolutions. Israel's position is that, given the political changes in Lebanon, it is time to reevaluate UNIFIL's size and mission, ahead of the periodic discussion in the UN on extending its mandate, which will take place in January. UNIFIL was created in 1978, and currently has 2,000 soldiers and 50 observers, backed up by a force of 400 civilian workers.
2005-09-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive