U.N. Will Add Troops in Lebanon

NAQOURA, Lebanon — United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Monday that 1,000 extra U.N. peacekeepers will arrive in southern Lebanon next month to help fill a vacuum created by Israel’s withdrawal.

Annan’s comments at the headquarters of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, came despite a warning from Lebanon earlier in the day opposing any movement of U.N. troops unless Beirut agrees that the Israeli pullout is complete.

Lebanon is angry that the U.N. Security Council on Sunday accepted Annan’s verification of a withdrawal despite Lebanese complaints that Israel still occupies some land.

“As you know, the Security Council has agreed on my recommendation to enlarge and reinforce UNIFIL,” Annan said. “The first phase of the reinforcement is underway, and I expect that about 1,000 additional troops provided by the present troops’ contributors, as well as Ukraine and Sweden, will join you next month.”

Annan said their main task will be to help the Lebanese government take charge of the area vacated by Israel last month after 22 years. The region is now largely under the control of Hezbollah guerrillas who led the fight to expel Israel.

Annan, who wants Lebanon to send troops to the south as well, arrived in the border region after a meeting in Beirut with President Emile Lahoud, described by Lebanese officials as frosty because of the U.N. decision to confirm the Israeli withdrawal. Lebanon has said it will deploy 1,000 security personnel, half of them soldiers, once it accepts that Israel has left.

The Lebanese government repeated complaints Monday that Israelis remain on Lebanese land. Annan said the U.N. was investigating, and an agency spokesman said later that Israel had been found in violation at two points but that he expected it to be resolved within a day.

Annan emphasized that while Lebanon can report suspected violations, it is up to the United Nations to decide if one has actually occurred.