Berri voices support for UNIFIL after recent clashes with locals

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri voiced support for United Nations peacekeepers after recent clashes between the peacekeepers and locals in south Lebanon, the latest in the southern town of Yater.

"I support the UNIFIL peacekeepers whether they are wrong or right. Locals, even if they are supporters of Amal or Hezbollah, should try not to overreact," Berri told local al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Friday. "We know that Israel is against the UNIFIL's presence in south Lebanon and has targeted them many times. This alone is enough for us to support their presence," he said, adding that "their presence has also made a positive impact on the economy in southern villages."

Clashes have increased in recent weeks, with residents insisting that any UNIFIL patrol should be accompanied by Lebanese Army troops.

The U.N. mission was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion and today UNIFIL operates in southern Lebanon at the request of the Lebanese government and under a mandate from the U.N. Security Council, but Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon frequently accuse the U.N. mission of collusion with Israel. Israel meanwhile accuses the peacekeepers of turning a blind eye to alleged Hezbollah military activities in southern Lebanon.