BBC News Online: World: Middle East

Lebanon rejects observers

Unifil soldiers patrol the border between Lebanon and Israel

President Emile Lahoud said he rejected the plans, and accused Israel of putting pressure on UN member states.

The Security Council asked UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday to present plans before the end of next January on turning the operation into an observer mission, and voted unanimously to slash the force's numbers.

Sensitive operation

Unifil has one of the most sensitive peacekeeping operations in the world, wedged for 23 years between Lebanese and Palestinian guerrillas and the Israeli army.

The force has been steadily reduced since Israel withdrew its army from southern Lebanon in May last year.

It has been cut from about 5,800 at the beginning of this year to 4,500, and Mr Annan intends to reduce it to 2,000 by next summer.

Since the Israeli withdrawal, the UN has been urging Lebanon to send its troops to the region.

The UN says Lebanon cannot return to normality until the government establishes control over all its territory.

But Beirut has preferred to leave the border area in the hands of the guerrilla group Hezbollah.

This is partly at the behest of Syria, the main power in Lebanon, which has sought to retain Hezbollah as thorn in the side of Israel and a potential bargaining chip in its negotiations with Israel.