Lebanon rejects UN militia report

Hezbollah is both a military and political force in Lebanon

Lebanon has rejected a United Nations report that calls for Lebanese militias to disarmed in line with Security Council resolution 1559.

Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said his country would deal with armed groups such as Hezbollah through national dialogue.

The report by UN special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen, said Hezbollah's militia had not even begun to disarm.

Part of the envoy's job is to report on the implementation of the resolution.

The resolution, passed in September 2004, called for Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon and for the dismantling of militias there.

'Internal dialogue'

Mr Aridi reiterated the government's position that the issue would be dealt with through national dialogue.

There has not been any noticeable change in the operational status and capabilities of Hezbollah, which, according to its own leadership, has more than 12,000 missiles at its disposal Terje Roed-Larsen

He said that Lebanon would try to make the world understand its stance.

"They [the UN] have their own point of view and we have ours," he told reporters after a meeting of the Lebanese cabinet.

"We emphasize our point of view insisting on internal dialogue, and on dialogue with the world to make them understand our stance."

Although Mr Roed-Larsen noted that the disbanding and disarming of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias were under discussion in an internal dialogue, he was unconvinced.

"Tangible results are yet to be achieved in these two fields, and I will continue my efforts in this regard," he wrote.

In particular, Mr Roed-Larsen found that Hezbollah had been unaffected since the resolution was passed.

"There has not been any noticeable change in the operational status and capabilities of Hezbollah, which, according to its own leadership, has more than 12,000 missiles at its disposal," he said.