U.N. Delays Disarming of Hizbullah

April 7, 2005
The Media Line
Original Source: http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=9649

United Nations envoy Terje Roed-Larsen has said disarming the Lebanon-based Hizbullah is not on the “action agenda” for the time being, AFP reported. 

Larsen visited Lebanon this week, where he discussed the country’s sovereignty and Syria’s withdrawal of troops and intelligence officers. 

Hizbullah is a Shi’ite organization labeled a terror group by both Israel and the United States. U.N. Resolution 1559 calls for an end to foreign presence in Lebanon, a reference to Syria, and for disarming militias, a reference to Hizbullah and Palestinians groups. 

Hizbullah’s Secretary General Hasan Na’srallah recently said the demand to disarm his organization is meant to “ensure the security of Israel.”

Roed-Larsen said dialogue on disarming Hizbullah will continue. He said he did discuss the matter while in Lebanon, but did not elaborate. 

Hizbullah continues to wage attacks on forces in the Shib’a farms, an area which Israel seized in the 1967 War but is claimed by Lebanon. 

However, the U.N. declared that when Israel withdrew its troops from south Lebanon in May 2000, this ended the Jewish state's occupation of Lebanese territory.