UM del - 2006-07 - Bilag 28: Brev fra FN's generalsekretær til formanden for FN's Sikkerhedsråd om situationen i Mellemøsten

Respect for the Blue LineSince my report of 12 September 2006, the military and security situation inthe UNIFIL area of operation has further stabilized. The cessation of hostilities wasmaintained and there were no serious incidents or confrontations. Nevertheless,UNIFIL observed and reported air violations by Israeli jets and unmanned aerialvehicles on an almost daily basis. On 31 October and again on 16 November,UNIFIL recorded a total of 14 such overflights on each day. A number of these tookthe form of mock air attacks above the headquarters of the French battalion ofUNIFIL located in the general area of Frun. In another instance, two Israeli jets flewwithin two nautical miles of a French ship that is part of the Interim Maritime TaskForce. The Government of Lebanon has protested the overflights as a seriousviolation of Lebanese sovereignty in contravention of resolution 1701 (2006). Israel,however, maintains that they are not violations but a necessary security measure andits Minister of Defence has linked them to the return of two Israel Defense Force(IDF) soldiers captured by Hizbollah on 12 July and full respect for the armsembargo established in paragraphs 14 and 15 of resolution 1701 (2006). Whilemindful of the Israeli motivations to continue their air incursions into Lebaneseairspace, I would note that such violations of Lebanese sovereignty, which stand incontradiction to resolution 1701 (2006) and other relevant resolutions, underminethe credibility of both UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) andcompromise overall efforts to stabilize the situation in the south and efforts to buildtrust and confidence generally.UNIFIL observed and recorded a number of minor ground violations of theBlue Line by the IDF and Israeli civilian construction workers who were repairingthe technical fence and from the Lebanese side by local shepherds. On one occasionLebanese protesters crossed the Blue Line in the area of the Shab’a Farms, but theLAF, after being notified by UNIFIL, quickly intervened and persuaded them toreturn to the Lebanese side.

Security arrangementsIsrael continued to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, in coordinationwith UNIFIL. The IDF retain a presence only in the northern part of the village ofGhajar. Given the specific status of the village of Ghajar, which is divided by theBlue Line, UNIFIL is working with the LAF and the IDF to finalize the withdrawalof the IDF from the remaining area inside Lebanon and set up temporary securityarrangements for the part of the village of Ghajar inside Lebanese territory.In parallel with the withdrawal of Israeli forces, Lebanon deployed, incoordination with UNIFIL, four brigades of its armed forces throughout the south inthe areas vacated by the IDF, including along the Blue Line. The deployment of theLAF throughout the south for the first time in decades down to the Blue Line is amost notable achievement and a key stabilizing factor. The LAF, assisted byUNIFIL, have taken some specific steps to ensure that the area between the LitaniRiver and the Blue Line is free of armed personnel, assets and weapons other thanthose of the Government of Lebanon and those of UNIFIL. Specifically, the LAFhave established a considerable number of permanent positions and checkpoints andcommenced patrols. The LAF have also demonstrated a high degree of cooperationwith UNIFIL and have responded promptly to its requests.The UNIFIL mechanism for liaison and coordination with the LAF and theIDF has been very effective in addressing military and security issues, especiallythrough the periodic meetings of the UNIFIL Force Commander with seniorrepresentatives of the LAF and the IDF. This is a key element of UNIFIL efforts tofoster stability in southern Lebanon and continues to provide an essential forum fornegotiation of matters requiring the cooperation of all three parties, such as theIsraeli withdrawal from Lebanon and temporary security arrangements for thenorthern part of Ghajar village. UNIFIL is engaged in discussions with the LAF andthe IDF on means to further enhance liaison and coordination.UNIFIL and the LAF have seen sporadic evidence of the presence ofunauthorized armed personnel, assets and/or weapons. On one occasion, a UNIFILdemining team was challenged by two Hizbollah personnel in combat uniformcarrying AK47 rifles. UNIFIL notified the LAF, who arrested three suspects thefollowing day. Since early September, there have been 13 instances where UNIFILcame across unauthorized arms or related materiel in its area of operation. The twomost noteworthy were the discovery of 17 Katyushas and several improvisedexplosive devices in Rachaya El-Foukhar and, in the general area of Bourhoz, of aweapons cache consisting of seven missiles, three rocket launchers and substantialamounts of ammunition. On all of these occasions, UNIFIL informed the LAF, whotook prompt action either to confiscate or destroy the materials. In the area betweenthe Litani River and the Blue Line, there are, in addition, Palestinian armedelements largely confined to the refugee camps.The Interim Maritime Task Force, under the lead of the Italian Navy, operatedin support of the Lebanese Navy to secure Lebanese territorial waters until15 October, when the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force became operational. The latterhas questioned and confirmed the identity of some 950 ships, detecting onesuspicious boat, which, when searched, was found to be smuggling cigarettes, andrendering assistance to one vessel in distress. As with the ground forces, cooperation

between the LAF and the UNIFIL Maritime Task Force, and the Interim MaritimeTask Force before it, has been of a high standard.The Lebanese authorities reported that they had undertaken a variety ofmeasures to secure their borders and entry points in order to prevent the illegal entryinto Lebanon of arms and related materiel. However, the United Nations continuesto receive reports of illegal arms smuggling across the Lebanese-Syrian border, buthas not been able to verify such reports.Since my last report, I dispatched a team of border police experts as requestedby the Government of Lebanon to review the measures put in place and to assess theneed for technical assistance. The team reviewed the security measures andarrangements at Beirut International Airport, seaports in Beirut and Tripoli, and afew smaller ports along the coast, as well as the main land border and entry pointsbetween Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. Significant deficiencies were foundin equipment and in training and in coordination among the four differentgovernment services responsible for the borders, as well as in compliance with somebasic border security standards. The team was, however, able to confirm that theLebanese authorities had taken initial steps to improve border security and control,including most notably the implementation of an effective integrated approach tosecurity at the airport. I also note the presence of some 8,000 LAF troops all alongLebanon’s land border with the Syrian Arab Republic.The Government has instructed the head of the Internal Security Forces toestablish a committee to review the systems in place at all border entry points andmake recommendations for their improvement. That committee’s preliminaryfindings and recommendations conform in most respects to those of the UnitedNations assessment team. After analysing the findings of the assessment team, theUnited Nations will share its observations with the Government of Lebanon. It is myunderstanding that the Government is also awaiting further recommendations from aGerman team of experts, which has been providing technical advice and assistanceto the Lebanese authorities on a bilateral basis.It is plain, however, that there is a need for bilateral assistance to theGovernment in order to enhance its border security capabilities. I would request thatfurther specialized equipment and technical know-how, which has been requested bythe Government of Lebanon, be provided. The provision of such assistance wouldbe a useful confidence-building measure.

Deployment of the United Nations Interim Force in LebanonFollowing the decision of the Security Council to supplement and enhance theUNIFIL force in numbers, equipment, mandate and scope of operations, a phaseddeployment was planned and has largely been implemented in the area of operationbetween the Litani River and the Blue Line.The first phase involved a rapid response deployment, reinforcing UNIFILtroops on the ground for the purpose of stabilizing the security situation andfacilitating the withdrawal of the IDF from Lebanon and the concomitantdeployment of the LAF throughout the south. Battalions from France, Italy andSpain deployed into the area of operation by 15 September, joining the battalionsalready in place from Ghana and India, and increased the overall strength of UNIFIL

to over 5,000. Italy and Spain each deployed marine infantry units to facilitate thisearly entry, which were later relieved in place with regular army units. Upon thecompletion of the first phase in mid-October, five battalions were fully deployedand operational. In addition, France has deployed one engineer unit and Belgiumand Luxembourg have deployed a level-2 hospital and an engineering unit. Italianair resources were strengthened with the deployment of a UH1 helicopter, bringingthe total number of helicopters to five.The support requirement placed on the limited resources of UNIFIL has beenexacerbated by the rapid flow of deployment into the area of operation and thedifficulties associated with the acquisition of land, which is the responsibility of thehost Government, to accommodate the incoming troops.Responsibility for maritime operations was handed over to the UNIFILMaritime Task Force on 15 October, under the operational control of the UNIFILForce Commander. The Task Force consists of four frigates, 10 corvettes/fast patrolboats supported by organic helicopters and two logistics support ships with hospitalfacilities.The second phase of the augmentation of UNIFIL is now under way, andinvolves the further deployment of four mechanized infantry battalions from France,Indonesia, Italy and Nepal and one infantry unit each from Malaysia and Qatar. TheFrench composite battalion is assuming the role of quick reaction force. Finland,Ireland and Turkey have deployed engineer units and another is expected fromPortugal. China will deploy one level-2 hospital, in addition to its existingengineering company. The Dominican Republic and the United Republic ofTanzania are expected to deploy military police companies.As at 28 November, UNIFIL troop strength was 10,480 all ranks (see annex).The completion of the augmentation is expected in December, when UNIFIL forcestrength will reach approximately 11,500 ground troops, 1,750 naval personnel and51 military observers from the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization.With the deployment by the LAF of four brigades to south Lebanon, these numbersare deemed to be sufficient to execute the mandate.The regular UNIFIL supply chain was recently re-established, thus enablingthe Force to discontinue the air/sea bridge between Cyprus and Lebanon, which hadbeen in place to maintain UNIFIL operability during the IDF naval and air blockade.StructureCommand of UNIFIL in the field is exercised by the Force Commander, whois also head of the mission. My intention is to assign to the Deputy ForceCommander the additional function of deputy head of the mission as a UnitedNations staff member. The Chief of Staff will assist the Force Commander inplanning and controlling the conduct and employment of all military components.Two sector headquarters, West and East, have been established in Tibnin andMarjayoun, respectively. Each of the sectors is commanded by a brigadier generaland will consist of four mechanized infantry battalions and a signal company. Inaddition, a quick reaction force will be based in Frun. UNIFIL air assets, providedand operated by Italy, are based at the Force headquarters. The UNIFIL MaritimeTask Force is operating in Lebanese territorial waters. UNIFIL will have sixengineering units, as well as two level-2 hospitals and one level-1 hospital. A

UNIFIL office for coordination and joint planning with the LAF, the Ministry ofDefence and other relevant Lebanese authorities is being set up in Beirut.Another UNIFIL office will be established in Tel Aviv for liaison andcoordination with IDF headquarters, the Ministry of Defence and other relevantIsraeli authorities. A UNIFIL liaison office, based in the IDF Northern Command, isfully operational. The Office of Political Affairs, comprising also civil affairs andpublic information, is being augmented within the Force headquarters and will staffthe liaison offices and also deploy at the sector level. The Strategic Military Cell forUNIFIL has been established at United Nations Headquarters and is operational.The administrative and logistics component is being significantly reinforced inorder to provide adequate and sufficient support to the Force. Troop-contributingcountries were requested to deploy on a self-sufficiency basis for periods of from15 to 60 days. Significant resources will continue to be required in the areas ofengineering, transport and movement control, communications, supply and medicaland administrative support.Financial aspectsBy its resolution 60/278 of 30 June 2006, the General Assembly appropriatedto the Special Account for UNIFIL the amount of $93.5 million gross, equivalent to$7.8 million per month, for the maintenance of the Force for the period from 1 July2006 to 30 June 2007. Pursuant to Security Council resolution 1701 (2006),concurrence was granted by the Advisory Committee on Administrative andBudgetary Questions to enter into commitments not to exceed $50 million to meetthe most immediate and essential requirements for the expansion of UNIFILfollowing the recent hostilities in July and August 2006. In addition, the AdvisoryCommittee has been informed that the UNIFIL appropriation for the period from1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 as approved by the Assembly in its resolution 60/278,will be used flexibly to meet the requirements of the expanded UNIFIL.Pending submission of the detailed budget for the expansion of UNIFIL for theperiod from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007, a request for commitment authority willbe submitted to the General Assembly for its consideration during the regular part ofits sixty-first session. The detailed budget for that period for the expanded UNIFILwill be submitted for consideration by the Assembly during its first resumed session,in March 2007.

Landmines and cluster bombsSince my last report, the full scope of contamination from unexploded clustermunitions has come to light. As at 20 November, the National Demining Office, theLAF and the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Centre South Lebanon haverecorded 822 cluster bomb strike sites, an 80 per cent increase since I last reported.Civilian casualties have increased to 152 as at 24 November. Of those 152 civilianvictims, 17 were killed and 135 injured. The joint efforts of the teams workingunder the Mine Action Coordination Centre, the LAF engineering units and theUNIFIL troops have resulted to date in the clearance of more than 60,000 clusterbomblets.Israel has yet to provide UNIFIL with the detailed firing data on its use ofcluster munitions that I referred to in my previous report. The provision of this data,which would be in keeping with the spirit of Protocol V of the Convention onProhibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons WhichMay Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects,which came into force recently, would significantly assist operators on the ground tomitigate the threat to innocent civilians. I reiterate my expectation for the provisionof these data.I would note that Israel confirmed in a letter dated 14 November 2006 from itsChargé d’Affaires that it had handed over to the United Nations all pre-2000minefield records available for southern Lebanon and the area north of the LitaniRiver.However, I regret to inform you that four deminers working for the UnitedNations mine clearance programme in south Lebanon have been injured over thepast few days, after they stepped on Israeli-manufactured anti-personnel mines nearthe village of Deir Mimas. As this area was considered safe prior to the conflict,there is the possibility that new anti-personnel landmines were laid during the recentconflict. While investigations on those incidents are still ongoing, I want to reiteratethat the United Nations condemns the use of all anti-personnel mines and calls uponany party that laid such mines during the recent conflict to provide information as towhere they have been laid to prevent similar tragic incidents occurring in the future.Delineation of bordersFurther to the Council’s request to me in paragraph 10 of its resolution1701 (2006) to develop proposals for delineation of the international borders ofLebanon, especially in those areas where the border was disputed or uncertain,including by dealing with the Shab’a Farms area, I have appointed a seniorcartographer to assume the lead on reviewing relevant material and developing anaccurate territorial definition of the Shab’a Farms area. The cartographer is in theprocess of conducting such an exercise for the purpose of any further diplomaticactivity that could be carried out by the United Nations as regards this issue. I amheartened to note that both Lebanon and Israel have indicated their readiness tocooperate in this exercise.A permanent solution of this issue remains contingent upon the delineationthe border between Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic, in fulfilmentresolutions 1559 (2004), 1680 (2006) and 1701 (2006). At the same time, andview of the repeated Syrian statements indicating that the Shab’a Farms areaofofinis