UN Ambassadors from the United States and Israel both urged the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) this weekend to enforce UN Security Council resolutions in Lebanon, and to stop ignoring covert Iranian efforts to arm the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the country.
U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told reporters at a news briefing following her return from a visit to Vienna that Irish Major-General Michael Beary, commander of the UNIFIL forces, was turning a blind eye to Iran’s activities in Lebanon.
“General Beary says there are no Hezbollah weapons,” Haley said. “That’s an embarrassing lack of understanding of what’s going on around him.
“Hezbollah openly brags about their weapons. They parade them before TV cameras. The secretary-general’s reports have confirmed this. For the UNIFIL commander to deny it … has any proof, shows that we need to have changes in UNIFIL.” she said.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, agreed in a written statement. “US Ambassador Haley is correct. UNIFIL cannot continue to remain blind to the weapons buildup in southern Lebanon and they must put an end to Hezbollah’s Security Council violations to ensure calm in our region,” he wrote.
“The Security Council must adopt a more robust UNFIL mandate that will address the serious security threats posed by Hezbollah.”