Lebanon divided over Hizbullah disarmament
Critical Lebanese Cabinet meeting set for Sunday to discuss implementation of ceasefire between Israel, Hizbullah postponed; Syrian official: We support Lebanese national consensus, including its reservations over UN Security Council Resolution 1701
A Lebanese government source said a cabinet meeting set for Sunday has been postponed because of divisions over whether to discuss the disarmament of Hizbullah guerrillas.
"Hizbullah had some observations over ... the discussion of their disarmament," the source said.
A UN Security Council resolution to end fighting between Israel and Hizbullah calls for the "disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, so that, pursuant to the Lebanese cabinet decision of July 27, 2006, there will be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than the Lebanese state."
The cabinet, which includes two Hizbullah ministers, unanimously approved the resolution on Saturday but disputes surfaced at the meeting, which lasted over three hours, over the disarmament of the Shiite Muslim group.
Syria supports Lebanon's acceptance of the UN Resolution to end fighting there, the state news agency said on Sunday.
"Syria supports the Lebanese national consensus, including its reservations over UN Security Council Resolution 1701," the SANA agency said, quoting an unnamed official.
'Syria ignoring calls to pressure Hizbullah'
Damascus is one of the main backers of the Hizbullah guerrillas, who were still locked in intense fighting with Israeli forces in Lebanon on Sunday ahead of a truce intended to go into force on Monday.
The resolution approved by the Security Council on Friday calls for a "Full cessation of hostilities" and for Israel to withdraw its troops "At the earliest". As they withdraw, 15,000 Lebanese soldiers and an expanded international force of 15,000 foreign troops, likely to be led by France, will be deployed.
Syria has ignored calls by the United States to pressure Hizbullah to free two Israeli soldiers whose capture by its fighters on July 12 set off massive Israeli reprisals against Lebanon, and to stop its rocket attacks on Israel.
Last year's assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri triggered off a wave of anti-Syrian unrest in Lebanon and a pullout of Syrian forces from its neighbor.
