Ban in 1559 Report: Hizbullah Drone May Threaten Lebanon Stability
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned that Hizbullah’s sending of a reconnaissance drone into Israel's airspace may threaten stability in Lebanon, in his 16th report on the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559.
According to LBCI television, Ban also voiced his concerns over the Syrian crisis’ repercussions on the situation in Lebanon, praising the stances of President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati in regards to the so-called self-disassociation policy.
Exclusive sources told LBCI that the U.N. chief cautions in the report that “Hizbullah’s activity in Syria threatens stability in Lebanon,” pointing out that he urged the Syrian government to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and integrity.
Ban also condemned the incidents that took place on the Lebanese side of the border, according to LBCI.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah declared last week that his group had sent a drone over Israel, noting that Hizbullah has the right to keep sending UAVs as long as Israel is violating Lebanon's airspace.
"A sophisticated reconnaissance aircraft was sent from Lebanese territory ... and traveled hundreds of kilometers (miles) over the sea before crossing enemy lines and into occupied Palestine," Nasrallah said.
"It overflew sensitive and important installations for dozens of kilometers until the enemy spotted it near (the nuclear site) Dimona," Nasrallah added. He did not identify the installations.
Nasrallah has also denied reports that a Hizbullah commander and several fighters were recently killed while fighting alongside the regime in Syria, clarifying that the Hizbullah fighters were killed while defending Lebanese-inhabited border towns inside Syria.
The Lebanese residents of Syrian border towns "maintained their ties with Lebanon and they vote in Lebanon. Some of the men of these Lebanese families have been members of Lebanese parties since decades,” Nasrallah added.
“A large number of Lebanese residents of these border towns belong to Hizbullah and they have been fighting in the party's ranks since 30 years. We did not tell them how to deal with the incidents. We told them make your own choice and they chose to stay in their homes. Armed groups attacked them and carried out killings, kidnappings and even rapes,” Nasrallah clarified.
“Some of them decided to flee the area, but most of them stayed in their towns and started to arm themselves. The residents of these towns took the decision to stay and defend themselves against the armed groups and did not engage in the battle between the regime and the opposition,” Hizbullah's leader added.
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