United Nations may send a verification team back to Lebanon following reports that Syrian intelligence may not have completely withdrawn from the country, Secretary General
Kofi Annan said.
“We are now receiving reports that there may be elements that are still there, and we are considering the possible return of the verification team to ascertain what is going on,” Annan told reporters.
A UN verification mission to Lebanon had reported on May 23 that Syria had “fully” withdrawn troops from its neighbour, in compliance with UN resolution 1559 steered through the Security Council in September by France and the United States.
The mission also said it had found no remaining trace of the Syrian intelligence services, but added that the clandestine nature of such agencies made it difficult to establish their complete withdrawal.