US accuses Syria, Iran over Lebanon tensions

UNITED NATIONS: The United States on Thursday accused Syria and Iran of fuelling tensions in Lebanon, which a top UN envoy called part of a "hurricane blowing up" in the Middle East.

The United States said Syria was illicitly arming Hezbollah and other militias and showing "flagrant disregard" for the country's independence. Syria rejected the attack.

The UN Security Council discussed Lebanon as Hezbollah stepped up pressure on the UN-backed investigation into the 2005 killing of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri. Hezbollah's leader said all Lebanese should boycott the probe.

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, said that Syria and Iran were seeking to "endanger stability."

The Shiite Muslim Hezbollah could only remain the most heavily armed militia in Lebanon with "Syria's aid and facilitation of Syrian and Iranian arms" in violation of UN Security Council resolution 1747, she added.

Rice said Syria, Iran and Hezbollah "believe that escalating sectarian tensions will help them assert their own authority over Lebanon. However these actors serve only to destabilize Lebanon and the region.

"Syria especially has displayed flagrant disregard for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence of Lebanon," she said.

Rice added that "Syria continues to provide increasingly sophisticated weapons" to Hezbollah and other militias in contravention of UN resolutions.

Syria's UN ambassador, Bashar al-Jafari, condemned the accusations.