Writethru: Annan begins visit to Lebanon

The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan arrived on Monday at Rafik Hariri International airport in Beirut to begin his visit in Lebanon aimed largely at bolstering a two-week-old UN-brokered ceasefire in the country.

The UN chief is scheduled to discuss with Lebanese leaders on the deployment of around 15,000 U.N. troops in southern Lebanon as well as measures to secure the border with Syria.

Annan, who will spend the night in Beirut, will meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Defense Minister Elias Murr and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

His visit came as Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah said his fighters would not oppose UN forces deployed in southern Lebanon, but warned that the peacekeepers should not seek to take away Hezbollah's weapons.

"We have no problem with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) as long as its mission is not aimed at disarming Hezbollah," Nasrallah said on Sunday in an interview with Lebanese New TV station.

This is Annan's first visit to Lebanon since the Israel- Hezbollah war which broke out on July 12 following the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah militants in cross-border attacks.

The Israel-Hezbollah conflict came to a cease-fire on Aug. 14 thanks to the UN Resolution 1701.

The Resolution 1701, unanimously adopted by UN Security Council on Aug. 11, calls for Israel's withdrawal and authorizes an increase of the existing UN force in Lebanon to 15,000 troops to help Lebanese troops take control of south Lebanon as Israel withdraws.

Source: Xinhua