Annan urges handover of captive Israeli soldiers

BEIRUT - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today he wanted the two Israeli soldiers whose capture by Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas sparked a 34-day war with Israel to be released under Red Cross auspices.

In Beirut on a Middle East trip to seek a lasting ceasefire, Annan also said he would ask Syria this week to police its border with Lebanon to prevent arms smuggling to Hizbollah.

"It is important that the borders are protected and there are no attempts to re-arm," Annan told a news conference.

"Lebanon has seen too much conflict. There are too many arms in the country. We don't need any more."

A Lebanese government source said Annan told the cabinet he would urge Syria to set up diplomatic ties with Lebanon for the first time in the history of the two neighbours.

Annan was later heckled by scores of Hizbollah supporters when he went on a walkabout in south Beirut - a Shi'ite Muslim stronghold devastated by Israeli air strikes.

"He came after the war, after the destruction. Why is he here now?" said Ashraf Koukha, 25, one of the protesters.

Annan cut short the visit and was driven away, later visiting the grave of Rafik al-Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister killed in a car bomb attack in Beirut last year.

At his news conference, Annan warned the relative peace since the August 14 truce could still evaporate. "Without the full implementation of (UN Security Council) resolution 1701 I fear the risk is great for a renewal of hostilities," he said.

The UN chief, due in Israel on Tuesday, is seeking progress on all issues involving Israel, Lebanon and Hizbollah in the resolution, which calls for an expanded United Nations peacekeeping force to cement the truce.

Annan urged Israel to lift its six-week-old sea and air blockade of Lebanon "immediately" and said he was highly satisfied with steps taken by the Lebanese government to police its borders.

Annan had separate talks with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, parliament speaker Nabih Berri and - unexpectedly - Energy Minister Mohammed Fneish.

Berri is a key ally of Hizbollah, which has nominated him to negotiate on its behalf, while Fneish is one of two Hizbollah ministers in the Lebanese government.

Berri, who said he had complained to Annan about Israeli truce violations, could play a key role in any negotiations to swap Lebanese prisoners for the two Israeli soldiers.

The United Nations is hoping to bolster peace through the deployment of up to 13,000 UN soldiers to southern Lebanon to join 2000 UN troops and 15,000 Lebanese troops already there.

Turkey has agreed in principle to join the UN force, a government spokesman in Ankara said. Turkish media suggested this month Turkey could send 500-1000 non-combat troops.

"The European countries are in the process of contributing nearly 9000 troops and I am working with other countries to supplement this force," said Annan.

The head of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the world's largest Muslim body, said Muslim countries should match the European contribution.

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, also in Beirut, told Reuters Islamic countries should be prepared to pledge 7000 soldiers.

In Damascus, US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson met exiled Hamas leaders to try to broker a swap between Israel and Palestinian militants holding another Israeli soldier.

Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal, whose movement forms the Palestinian government, told Reuters Jackson had held talks with the group's leader Khaled Meshaal on Sunday night.

Israel has launched attacks in the Gaza Strip since June 28 to try to recover the soldier and end cross-border rocket fire.

In the latest Gaza clashes, Israeli forces killed two members of a Hamas-led security force, two presidential guards and a civilian, Palestinian officials said.

In the Israeli city of Haifa, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced a low-level inquiry into the Lebanon war, rejecting a fuller, independent probe that could have led to high-level resignations in the government and military.

Israeli undercover troops shot dead a Palestinian wanted as a suspected militant in a confrontation in the West Bank town of Ramallah, witnesses said.

- REUTERS