U.S. Wants Hizbullah Disarmed and Syria to Quit Lebanon 'at Once'

Naharnet Beirut, Updated 13 Oct 04, 14:16   The United States has manifested an unrelenting drive to have the U.N. Security Council crack the whip on the Beirut and Damascus governments for a an immediate withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon and the prompt disarmament of Hizbullah. "The U.S. wants to see the disarmament of Hizbullah and Hamas beginning at once along with the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon," said U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in fresh assertion of the Bush administration's intent to squeeze Lebanon and Syria into bowing to U.N. resolution 1559. "We believe that the time has come for the Lebanese to be able to decide their own future without the presence of the Syrian army, which is operated from Damascus," Powell said in an interview aired by the U.S.-run Al Horra satellite network from Dubai late Tuesday night. It was splashed by several Beirut dailies Wednesday morning. Powell's tough position coincided with signals from Paris that France would no doubt seek a new Security Council resolution tougher than 1559 if current consultations among the ambassadors of the 15 member-states fail to produce unanimity over a Chairmanship Statement on the issue. An Nahar's Paris correspondent George Sassin quoted French officials as asserting that President Chirac is adamant about having the process of the Syrian withdrawal and Hizbullah's disarmament be monitored by the U.N., with Secretary-General Kofi Annan making quarterly reports about the progress. French officials also shrugged off reports that the United States would seek the withdrawal of the U.N. peacekeeping force from south Lebanon if Syria fails to begin a time-tabled withdrawal from the rest of the country.

Beirut, Updated 13 Oct 04, 14:16