Illegal Arms Reaching Hezbollah via Syria
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, says that arms are reaching Hezbollah regularly across the Syrian border.
In a report to the UN Security Council, Ban said news of arms shipments, including "detailed and substantial" reports from Israel, and other nations, showed the need for a team he was sending to propose ways of monitoring of the border.
"Such transfers are alleged to be taking place on a regular basis," Ban wrote. "I am deeply worried that the political crisis in Lebanon may be deepened and exacerbated" by arms smuggling, most of which are reported to reach the opposition Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah movement.
"Such transfers are alleged to be taking place on a regular basis," Ban wrote. "I am deeply worried that the political crisis in Lebanon may be deepened and exacerbated" by arms smuggling, most of which are reported to reach the opposition Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah movement.
But of course Syria denies any involvement. Syria also denies any involvement in the murders of many anti-Syrians in Lebanon.
So what does the Secretary-General do? With Syria's denial, and agreement that it would work with the United Nations toward "peace and stability" in the region, he blasts Israel.
Ban also singled out Israel Air Force jets and unmanned aerial overflights and said again he had asked the government to "cease fully" these "violations of Lebanon sovereignty."
But without Israel's overflights Ban wouldn't have much of the information he is reporting.
Nor does the UN have any teeth to enforce resolution 1559 that called for all foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon and for the Beirut, and stop arms shipments to Hezbollah. The buildup will likely continue until Hezbollah is strong enough to mount another attach on Israel, and/or overthrow the Lebanese government.
It won't get much play in the press, partially because the Lebanon Hezbollah conflict is old news, and too because Iraq is juicier news. Even the global warming alarmists get more media play than the Hezbollah arms buildup.