U.N. Council extends Lebanon peace force for year

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Security Council extended by a year on Friday the mandate of the U.N. force that has kept an uneasy peace in southern Lebanon since Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas fought a war there last year.

The force, known as UNIFIL, has been in Lebanon since 1978 but was greatly expanded following the conflict a year ago. It currently has 11,500 troops and a 2,000-strong naval force from more than 30 nations.

Friday's resolution urged UNIFIL to increase cooperation with the Lebanese army and said the Security Council would consider "further steps" to help turn the current "cessation of hostilities" in Lebanon into a permanent cease-fire.

It did not specify the steps.

The unanimous vote by the 15-nation council came as little surprise since all parties involved in Lebanon say they support UNIFIL. But while there have been few serious incidents in its area, its presence has not resolved underlying problems.

Israel says even though Hezbollah is lying low it continues to receive arms in violation of a U.N. resolution that ended the war. UNIFIL, whose mandate is now extended until August 31, 2008, says disarming the group is not its job.

Despite Friday's unanimity in the council, South Africa and Russia criticized attempts by other countries to bring what they called irrelevant issues into the debate, reflecting disagreements in the body over wider Middle East matters.

South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo told the council his country would have preferred a simple rollover of the mandate that did not include "unrelated sensitive issues" that he said were "selectively chosen."

He did not elaborate, but the resolution mentions the continued holding by Hezbollah of two abducted Israeli soldiers and the detention of Lebanese prisoners by Israel, as well as condemning "terrorist" attacks against UNIFIL.

And in a reference to the speech of U.S. envoy Alejandro Wolff, Russian delegate Igor Shcherbak criticized comments on the alleged smuggling of arms into Lebanon from Syria, which has long-standing ties with Moscow.

Such issues "do not relate to this text which we have just adopted," he said.

But Wolff later told reporters the point was relevant because smuggled arms were used against UNIFIL, which lost six Spanish peacekeepers in a June 24 car bombing. "How these two things are unrelated I'm not sure I understand," he said.

In Beirut, Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi told Reuters: "We welcome the news and it corresponds with the Lebanese government's request."

Israeli U.N. Ambassador Dan Gillerman also welcomed the resolution, in comments to reporters.