United States helping Lebanon with security: Welch
Lebanon-USA, Politics, 10/19/2006

The United States' goal in Lebanon is to help the Lebanese government assert its authority throughout the country, secure its borders and disarm all militias, according to Assistant Secretary of State David Welch.

Speaking to the Business Council for International Understanding in New York Tuesday, Welch said that the reconstruction of Lebanon is under way, following Israel's monthlong assault on Hizbullah in July and August. He noted that the majority of displaced persons have returned home and that fuel and other critical shortages have ended.

He also pointed to the deployment of the Lebanese army to the south and the arrival of 6,000 UN-mandated peacekeeping troops as evidence of progress in implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which put an end to the conflict. (See related article.)

Resolution 1701's success "is very important for US foreign policy in the region and for the credibility of UN peacekeeping," he said. "The United States, and much of the international community, is committed to assisting Lebanon in reasserting itself as a sovereign, democratic, prosperous, and peaceful country. However, there are still challenges ahead."

Chief among those challenges, he said, is the disarmament of Hizbullah. "We recognize that this will only occur through internal Lebanese dialogue. This will take time, but the process must continue in order to reinforce the confidence of the international community," he said. "Allowing groups to participate in the political process, while maintaining armed militias, is in direct opposition to the idea of democracy and stability."

Welch said there are also forces inside and outside the country working to undermine the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. "For the sake of the Lebanese people, we must support the democratically elected government as it resists attacks from political opportunists who would undermine the country for their own personal gain," he said.

He said the United States and other countries continue to look for additional ways to support Lebanon's reconstruction process. He noted that France will hold a Lebanon donor's conference in January and that Arab finance ministers are meeting this week to discuss additional aid for Lebanon.

"The US will continue its efforts to support moderate governments like the democratically elected government of Lebanon in their efforts to meet the needs of their people and to encourage genuine freedom to take root," he said.

Previous Stories:
  US support for Israel cost thousands of lives: Lebanese minister   (9/5/2006)

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