UN Declares Shebaa Farms For Syria
Security Council rebukes Lebanon on disputed Shebaa Farms; extends peacekeeping mandate
UNITED NATIONS - United Nations Security Council rebuked Beirut Friday declaring the disputed Shebaa Farms part of Syria, in a resolution that also extended the mandate of UN Peacekeepers for six months.
The document, drafted by France and co-sponsored by the US, Britain, Denmark and Greece, was adopted unanimously by the 15-member council, although Russia and Algeria as well as Lebanon voiced criticism.
For the first time in years, the council mentioned Secretary General Kofi Annan's report from May 2000 verifying Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon behind a UN-drawn frontier called the "Blue Line."
This frontier placed the Israel-occupied Shebaa Farms in Syria.
The UN drew the blue line to mark Israel's withdrawal rather than to stipulate a permanent border. It said Lebanon and Syria were free to change their colonial era boundaries. They have chosen not to do so.
Without mentioning the Shebaa Farms by name Lebanon's deputy Ambassador to the UN Ibrahim Assaf said, the council "selectively highlighted passages from the secretary-general's report" and contended "these elements could have a detrimental effect on peace and security."
The resolution said Lebanon should "extend and exercise its sole authority in the South," referring to the Hizbullah which dominates the southern Lebanon and continues to exchange fire with Israel from the Shebaa farms.
US Acting Ambassador to the UN Anne Patterson said she believes the biggest impediment to peacekeeping is the "continued presence of armed militias" in southern Lebanon, as well as the Lebanese government's unwillingness to assert effective control over the area.
Russian Deputy Ambassador Alexander Konuzin said he believes the resolution was geared to put pressure on Beirut and "oblige" it to find solutions to questions it simply cannot solve.
