debkafile: UN Secy-Gen. Ban Ki-moon’s Lebanon report prompts belated Security Council move on arms smuggling from Syria to Hizballah

France has circulated a draft statement expressing serious concern at mounting reports of illegal arms transfers from Syria to Lebanon. The draft proposes authorizing an independent mission to assess if the border is being monitored.
Such arms transfers were expressly banned by N resolution 1701 under the ceasefire which ended last summer’s war between Israel and Hizballah. When the incoming UN secretary visited Lebanon two weeks ago, he was armed with evidence garnered by Israel, including maps, of banned arms transition across the border for the last six months. Israeli security officials report that by now Hizballah has almost finished restocking its pre-war arsenal. But better late than never.