Bolton Faults Syria, Iran on Lebanon

Syrian president Bashar Assad , right, welcomes in Damascus on Sunday Oct. 29, 2006 Yevgeny Primakov, former Prime Minister of Russia who handed Assad an Arabic Version of his book titled "The Middle East, The known and the hidden" in which he talks about events in the Middle East politics. (AP Photo / Sana). (Sana - AP)

Israel has said enforcement of the arms embargo, which blocks any entity in Lebanon except the national government from obtaining weapons from abroad, is crucial.

Bolton's made his remarks to the closed-door council meeting on implementation of Resolution 1559, which was adopted in September 2004 and called for the extension of Lebanese authority throughout the south and the disarming of all militias in the country.

The Security Council said in a presidential statement at the end of the meeting that "important progress" has been made toward the implementation of the resolution, particularly through the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south.

But the council also noted that some provisions of the resolution have yet to be implemented, namely the disbanding of militias, strict respect for Lebanon's "sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence," and free and fair presidential elections "without any foreign interference and influence."

In his report to the council earlier this month on implementation of 1559, Annan said Lebanon should seize the opportunity resulting from the end of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict by establishing diplomatic relations with Syria and resolving the dispute over Chebaa Farms, a plot of land along its border with Israel and Syria.

Syrian troops only withdrew from Lebanese territory the assassination of Hariri, a longtime opponent of Syria, provoked an outcry that eventually forced Syria to relent.

Chebaa Farms was captured by Israel when its forces seized Syria's Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war.

The United Nations determined that the area is Syrian, and that Syria and Israel should negotiate its fate. But Lebanon claims the Chebaa Farms _ a claim backed by Syria _ and Hezbollah continues to fight over the disputed land, arguing that Israel's occupation justifies its "resistance."

Roed Larsen called the issue "very complex," saying U.N. cartographers are working "full speed" to analyze what the territory encompasses.