US believes arms smuggled to Lebanon via Syria

WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) The United States believes arms continue to be smuggled into Lebanon through Syria, US ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman said yesterday.

UN Security Council resolutions have called on Lebanon to disarm all militias on its soil, including Hezbollah guerrillas backed by Syria and Iran, and have banned all unauthorised arms in Lebanon.

''Analytically, we believe that the smuggling is still continuing,'' Feltman told reporters. ''We believe that Syria has a responsibility to stop allowing its territory to be used for smuggling to Hezbollah.'' The flow of arms into Lebanon could strengthen the position Hezbollah, which is engaged in a tense power struggle with the Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

Feltman carefully phrased his comments about whether arms smuggling continues, suggesting the United States may not have hard evidence of this.

''There is a lot that crosses the border and ... if a truck sneaks across the border, you don't always know what's in that truck -- in some cases it could be cigarettes,'' he said.

''There is verifiable evidence of smuggling across the Lebanese-Syrian border and analytically we believe that there is arms smuggling that is occurring ... with that smuggling,'' he said.

Asked if there was reason to believe Iran had sought to rearm Hezbollah since the 34-day summer war between Israel and the militant group, Feltman replied: ''Syria has traditionally been a transit point. Syria has not been a producer of the weapons that Hezbollah has used. I'll leave it at that.'' REUTERS PKS RN0551