Marjayoun, Lebanon – Six weeks after the end of the Lebanon war, the militant Hezbollah group is facing little on-the- ground pressure to give up its weapons and disarm – despite a U.N. cease-fire resolution demanding just that.
The leaders of a U.N. peacekeeping force in south Lebanon say the job is not theirs.
And Lebanon’s ill-equipped army, some of whose soldiers wear tin-pot helmets and carry outdated M-16 rifles, shows no signs of diving into a confrontation with battle-hardened Hezbollah fighters.
For now, all sides say it’s likely full disarmament will happen only in the future as part of a political solution – despite the U.N. resolution that ended the 34-day war on Aug. 14 and required disarmament.
The commanders of the U.N. force say that under the resolution their job is merely to assist the Lebanese army in regaining control of southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Lebanese security officials say the army’s mission in the south is based on what they call an “understanding” with Hezbollah that the army will not search for and seize weapons but only confiscate those shown in public.
At one Lebanese military checkpoint near the town of Marjayoun, 8 miles from the Israeli border, soldiers recently waved most cars through.
