UN Secretary General: Hizbullah Must be Disarmed

By Amihai Zippor
October 22, 2008
Israel Hasbara Committee
Original Source: 
 – HYPERLINK https://mail.hudsonny.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.infoisrael.net/cgi-local/text.pl?source=2/a/i/221020081 \t _blank http://www.infoisrael.net/cgi-local/text.pl?source=2/a/i/221020081

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon wrote in a report to members of the UN Security Council that the terror group Hizbullah was a destabilizing force in the region.

“Hizbullah's maintenance of a major armed component and a para-military infrastructure separate from the state, including a secure network of communication, which the group itself deems an integral part of its arsenal, is a direct challenge to the authority of the government of Lebanon and its security forces and prevents their exclusive control over the entire territory of Lebanon,” Ban wrote. 

He added: “I therefore reiterate my call on Hizbullah to comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions, and urge all parties which maintain close ties with Hizbullah and have the ability to influence it, in particular Syria and Iran, to support its transformation into a political party proper.”

Ban also criticized Israel for Israeli Air Force jet reconnaissance missions over Lebanon, which Israel says is necessary to gather intelligence on weapons smuggling from Syria. 

Since the Second Lebanon War, Iranian and Syrian supported Hizbullah has violated UN resolutions by restocking its arsenal of missiles and acquiring advanced rockets and other intelligence gathering equipment it specifically says will be used against Israel.