The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon "is here to protect the Lebanese and Lebanon's sovereignty, and we want its mandate limited to that," in which case there "will be no problems," Nabil Qaouk, the group's chief in the south, told AFP.

"We want the new UNIFIL to do its work in conformity with" U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which led to an August 14 truce in the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

"Israel is seeking to have this force play a new role, in other words, to place it under its control," Qaouk said. "We hope that Europe and the French will not be under American control and will be the closest friends of the Lebanese and the Arab world."

Resolution 1701 calls for establishing "an area free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL" between the Israeli border and the Litani River, a strategic waterway that runs between five and 30 kilometers north of the border.

It stipulates that UNIFIL should "assist the Lebanese armed forces" in achieving that.

Hezbollah has agreed to abide by the ceasefire, but has resolutely refused to lay down its arms until it is satisfied that Israel has ended its occupation of Lebanese territory.

Its chief, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said this week that his forces are present "in the whole south of Lebanon" and that nobody "can prevent us from being present on our territory or from defending our territory, our honor and our homeland."

But in an interview Thursday in the French daily La Croix, General Alain Pellegrini said UNIFIL would act on its own if necessary.

"If the (Lebanese army) fails to act, we must assume our responsibilities as a U.N. force," he said. "Someone will have to intervene, with all the consequences that this might have for the Lebanese authorities."

Resolution 1701 does not spell out how south Lebanon should be freed of illicit arms, but says UNIFIL should "assist the Lebanese armed forces in taking steps towards" that end.

It also builds on the foundations of Resolution 1559, adopted in late 2004, and 1655, adopted in January.

As the debate grew over what UNIFIL should be doing, Lebanese troops continued their deployment in the south on Saturday, a military spokesman said.

An unspecified number of troops were taking up positions in the coastal town of Naqoura, where UNIFIL is headquartered.

Another 400 men, backed by a dozen tanks, were deploying in Aita al-Shaab, some 20 kilometers inland and just one kilometer from the Israeli border. Soldiers were also preparing to enter six other villages evacuated by Israeli troops under the terms of the truce.

Israel has said it will complete its withdrawal once there are at least 5,000 UNIFIL troops on the ground. According to an AFP count, there are about 4,500 of them in the country now.

Hezbollah has said, however, that its definition of withdrawal will include the Shabaa Farms, a small but strategic patch of land at the juncture of Lebanon, Israel and Syria.

The Jewish state captured the area from Syria in 1967, and Beirut now claims it with the consent of Damascus.

Resolution 1701 calls for steps to be taken to resolve the issue

Political problems between Hezbollah and government complicate UNIFIL task

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been very critical of the government. He attacked it for its stance during the war in televised interviews, even though Hezbollah has 2 members in the cabinet and never informed PM Siniora of his plan to kidnap the Israeli soldiers, which triggered the war

‘This government should go,’ shouted Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar to a crowd of several thousand sympathizers at a rally last Monday in the capital’s predominantly Shiite suburbs

Nasrallah has called for the creation of a government of national unity that would include General Michel Aoun, who also has been personally attacking Siniora along with all the other pro-Syrian allies.

Siniora who is backed politically by the March 14 forces that forced Syria out of Lebanon, is not budging. Speaking in Cairo on Thursday, he said the ‘current government will remain as long as it receives the trust of parliament. Criticisms are normal. Our country is a democratic country.’

But Siniora needs the support of all the Lebanese to be effective in his job.

French general in command of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, Alain Pellegrini, has been critical of the political vacuum and the inability of the government to take decisions. In an interview published Thursday in the French daily La Croix, he criticized the government for not doing enough to facilitate his mission.

‘We are here at their request, and the least they could do is help us.’ He said.

A local observer told Ya Libnan "The war devastated the infrastructure of the country and wiped out all the development of the past 15 years. It is about time the Lebanese unite in cleaning up the war mess and moving ahead. This political squabbling leads us no where. Time for Hezbollah to join hands with the government to tackle the problems that Lebanon now faces as a result of this unwarranted war.

Picture: U.N. French Force Commander Alain Pellegrini

Source: Naharnet- Ya Libnan