UNITED NATIONS, May 17 (UPI) -- The U.N. Security Council has increased pressure on Syria to abide by its September 2004 resolution to normalize relations, delineate its border and stem arms trafficking into Lebanon.
The panel of 15 passed a resolution Wednesday by a vote of 13-0, with China and Russia abstaining, strongly encouraging Syria to respond positively to Lebanon's requests since such action would be a significant step towards asserting Lebanon's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence.
The resolution was sponsored by Britain, Denmark, France, Slovakia and the United States.
The council said those steps would also improve relations between Syria and Lebanon, contributing to regional stability. It urged both parties to make efforts through further bilateral dialogue towards that goal, bearing in mind that the establishment of diplomatic relations between states was by mutual consent.
Noting with concern the movements of militia-bound arms into Lebanese territory over the last six months, the council commended Beirut for undertaking action against the flow of arms and called on Damascus to take similar measures.
The council also welcomed the Lebanese decision to disarm Palestinian militias, including Iran-backed Hezbollah, outside refugee camps within six months; called for further efforts to disband and disarm all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias; and the full restoration of Lebanese government control over all its territory.
It reiterated support for U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in efforts to facilitate and assist the implementation of all provisions of 2004 Resolution 1559, which called for all foreign forces to leave Lebanon. The resolution was pushed aside after former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated Feb. 14, 2005.
The United Nations certified Syria's withdrawal later last year. Syrian troops had been stationed in Lebanon since the civil war began in 1975.
The latest measure, Resolution 1680, also repeated "its call on all concerned states and parties as mentioned in (Annan's latest) report, to cooperate fully with the government of Lebanon, the Security Council and the secretary-general to achieve this goal."
Neither Iran nor Syria were mentioned by name so as not to ruffle diplomatic feathers.
Speaking after the vote, Russia's Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said strengthening Lebanon's sovereignty, its unity and territorial integrity must be done by dialogue between Damascus and Beirut. Recent positive progress in settling a number of border issues had demonstrated opportunities existed for further progress.
Churkin later told reporters outside the council's formal chamber the resolution did not help a constructive settlement of the issues between the two countries. He had not seen a need for a resolution and had wanted instead a formal statement read out by the panel's president.
Added Moscow's envoy: "We just don't think that it is the right thing for the Security Council to look over their shoulders at every particular juncture and make comments and remarks about the particular nature of their dialogue."
Asked if Russia wasn't taking a hard-line on the issue, he said: "We are not hard-liners at all, we are not isolated at all, today we abstained together with China, but you know that if we feel strongly that we are doing the right thing we are prepared to vote alone. It is not a hard-line position. It's a constructive position."
China said it withheld its vote because the principle of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference should be upheld and the issues settled bilaterally, and hoped that Lebanon and Syria would continue their dialogue.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton also spoke with reporters after the council session.
"The United States is very pleased with the passage of Resolution 1680," he said, admitting there was some disappointment in the two abstentions.
"Unanimity is desirable but not a prerequisite for council action," he reminded. "We thought it was important in this case to respond with a resolution to the secretary-general's report with a resolution, not a presidential statement as some delegations wanted... so we think that this is another step forward in the implementation of 1559 which we continue to follow closely as well as, of course, 1595 the investigation into the Hariri assassination."
As for Iran and Syria not being mentioned by name in the resolution, the Washington envoy said: "There is no ambiguity."
"(The secretary-general's report) could have mentioned Iran in all four letters, but that reference makes it unambiguously clear that Iran is referred to," he said. "You know, you can't always get what you want, but if you try, sometime, you just might find you get what you need."
