US ignores Syrian opposition to Lebanon force
Washington overlooks Syrian objection to UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, says Damascus is not a party in talks on force's mandate, rules of engagement
WASHINGTON - The White House said on Wednesday that it intends to ignore Syria's threat to close its border with Lebanon if United Nations peacekeepers are stationed there to prevent arms shipments to Hizbullah.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Syria was not "a party to this discussion."
Perino reiterated Washington accusations that Syria was responsible for arming Hizbullah.
"If the President of Syria was not supplying Hizbullah, this wouldn't have been a problem in the first place. So the United Nations Security Council resolution that calls upon UNIFIL to assist the government of Lebanon in securing its borders, including its northern and eastern borders with Syria, stands and the entire United Nations Security Council agrees," she said.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan updated US President George W. Bush on efforts to assemble a peacekeeping force for Lebanon.
US opposes Annan's visit to Tehran, Damascus
Annan plans a visit to the Middle East soon which will includes stops in Beirut, Jerusalem and other countries in the region. He is also interested in visiting Damascus and Tehran, but the United States objects.
According to estimations, Bush and Annan discussed the benefit and damage expected from a meeting between the UN secretary-general and the leaders of Iran and Syria, particularly in light of Security Council Resolution 1696, which set an August 31 ultimatum to Iran to stop enriching uranium.
However, Annan has yet to announce whether Iran and Syria will be included in his visit to Europe and the Middle East. The UN spokesman hinted that "the Iranians should be part of the dialogue."
Annan will take part in a meeting of European Union Foreign Ministers in Brussels on Friday to discuss the inclusion of European troops in the peacekeeping force.
Annan is set to arrive in Israel on Wednesday. He will hold talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He will also stop in Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
