UN doubts major Hezbollah rearming in south Lebanon

Wed May 20, 2009 4:23pm EDT

* U.N. cannot be certain about Hezbollah arms stockpiles

* U.N. peacekeeping department wants to cut costs

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS, May 20 (Reuters) - It is highly unlikely that Lebanese Hezbollah militants have more weapons now in southern Lebanon than they did at the time of their 2006 war with Israel, the head of U.N. peacekeeping said on Wednesday.

Israel says Hezbollah continues to increase its weapons stockpiles south of the Litani River where the 13,000-strong UNIFIL peacekeeping mission is charged with keeping out armed fighters and illicit weapons.

"I think it would be very difficult for Hezbollah to put additional weapons in the area," Alain Le Roy, the French head of the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping, told reporters.

"I don't speak of north of the Litani River, because there UNIFIL has no mandate," he said. "But south of the Litani River, we consider it very unlikely."

But Le Roy added that he could not be certain: "We cannot give a 100 percent guarantee."

Western diplomats have privately voiced concerns that the Shi'ite militant group has succeeded in replenishing its weapons caches and that UNIFIL has not been entirely effective in preventing weapons smuggling due to its limited mandate.

Le Roy spoke of the limitations on UNIFIL's mandate, under which peacekeepers are there to assist the Lebanese army. For example, he said, UNIFIL lacks the authority to search houses for weapons unless they have "clear evidence" of hidden arms.

UNIFIL has been in Lebanon since 1978>>>