Arms smuggling threatens Lebanon peace: UN envoy

United Nations, July 19: Syrian arms smuggling to militant groups in Lebanon threatens implementation of a peace deal that ended last year's war with Israel, a UN special envoy said today.

Michael Williams, UN coordinator for the West Asia peace process, talked to reporters after briefing the UN Security Council on progress implementing Resolution 1701, which halted the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

''A great deal has been achieved but I think we're entering a more difficult period,'' Williams said. ''The continuation of that arms smuggling is a serious challenge to 1701 implementation.'' Syria's ambassador Bashar Ja'afari denied Syria was funneling weapons over the border. He accused Israel of violating the resolution through overflights which he said provided intelligence on the alleged smuggling.

''We denied (smuggling arms) many times and we are still denying,'' Ja'afari told reporters.

US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said Syria and Iran were both playing a negative role in Lebanon. ''There is clear evidence with regard to arms transfers to terrorist groups,'' Khalilzad said.

Williams said one of his priorities was resolving the fate of two Israeli soldiers whose capture in July 2006 in a Hezbollah raid into northern Israel sparked the war.

''We've not so far been able to expedite the release of those two soldiers. I bitterly regret that and regret also that we've not even been able to establish proof of life,'' he said.

Asked whether he thought the two soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser were still alive, he said he could not answer that but he urged Hezbollah to make that clear.

Williams also criticized Syria for not cooperating with a UN survey of the disputed Shebaa Farms area on the borders of Israel, Lebanon and Syria. He urged Damascus to provide relevant documents.

Syria's ambassador rejected the criticism, saying Damascus was serious about discussing the Israeli-controlled Shebaa Farms and had held high-level meetings with Lebanon on the issue since the war.

''Both Syria and Lebanon would agree on demarcation once Israelis get out of Shebaa,'' Ja'afari said.

Williams said there appeared to be some interest in Syria and Israel opening talks on the Golan Heights, captured by Israel 40 years ago. ''It is absolutely essential if we're to have a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East,'' he said.

Williams was speaking the day before a meeting of the quartet of West Asia mediators the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations expected to focus on US plans to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace moves.

''Peace between Israel and Syria is also necessary,'' Williams said.

Reuters>