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Have Reduced Risk of Mid-East Conflict

NEW YORK, KOMPAS.com - UN special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen expressed the risk of conflict in the Middle East have been reduced, but warned the heavy presence of armed militias in Lebanon in violation of UN resolutions should be discussed.

He told reporters at the UN, there is less potential for conflict in the last few days rather than several weeks ago.

According to him, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has spoken personally on important leaders in the region and has asked them to reduce the rhetoric and act responsibly.

"I think the demand is concerned," he said, after giving a brief explanation on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, passed in 2004 script by the 15 council members who asked for the dissolution and disarmament of all militias in Lebanon.

"Throughout the unsolved problems exist, such as the presence of heavily armed militia in Lebanon (referring to Hezbollah) will always be tension," Roed-Larsen said after briefing the council about a recent report which Ban called on Hezbollah to release the weapon.

Hezbollah has refused to report Ban, on the pretext that the groups are not militias, but Lebanon's resistance movement defending the territory.

The UN report was issued shortly after Israel accused Syria of supplying Hezbollah's SCUD missiles. Damascus denies the accusation.