Israel Matzav

Annan: Syria will enforce arms embargo against Hezbullah

UN Secretary General Kofi Goofy Annan announced today that Syria has assured him that it will step up border patrols and work with the Lebanese army to stop the flow of weapons to Hezbullah.

Syria will increase its own patrols along the Lebanon-Syria border, and establish joint patrols with the Lebanese army "when possible," Annan said after meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus.

Assad made no public comments after their meeting, but Annan spoke with reporters at the Damascus airport before he departed midday for Qatar.

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Annan said Assad informed him that Syria would "take all necessary measures" to implement paragraph 15 of UN resolution 1701, which calls on countries to prevent the sale or supply of weapons to entities in Lebanon without the consent of the Lebanese government or UN peacekeepers.

The UN chief also asked Syria to "use its influence" to win the release of three Israeli soldiers - two captured by Hezbollah in a July 12 cross-border raid that started the war, and one captured by Hamas-linked militants in Gaza the previous month. Assad said he supported their release, but raised the issue of Syrian prisoners held in Israel, Annan said.

If any of you do not realize how ludicrous thesde statemetns are, allow me to remind you that Syria maintained a 'presence' in Lebanon for nearly forty years until they were kicked out after the Hariri assassination in 2005, and that Syria is the lord and master of Khaled Meshaal, the Hamas chieftain who orchestrated the kidnapping and has prevented the release of Gilad Shalit in the first place.

I'm so glad that Annan thinks the Syrians are repenting. It's the season for that stuff.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:28 PM