Roed-Larsen Calls On Hizbullah to Join Lebanese Army

U.N. envoy to Lebanon Terje Roed-Larsen said Sunday that Lebanon must try to
merge Hizbullah's military wing into its army.
Roed-Larsen, who is in charge of overseeing the implementation of U.N.
Resolution 1559 that calls on Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias to disarm,
said it was unfeasible to force Hizbullah to lay down its arms.
The Shiite party is very well-trained and highly organized and was able to
oust a strong Israeli army from southern Lebanon in May 2000 after 22 years
of occupation.
The Norwegian diplomat said it wasn't possible to collect weapons in the
hands of Hizbullah in southern and eastern Lebanon.
Therefore, he said, the party's military wing should join the army.
His remarks come as Lebanon's top rival leaders are scheduled to resume
their talks on Monday at a national dialogue meeting aimed to resolve the
country's most contentious issues, including the issue of Hizbullah's
disarmament.
The U.N. envoy said merging Hizbullah's armed wing into the army would be a
suitable solution for the Shiite group, especially that it is represented by
legislators in parliament.