Global Policy Forum

By Edith M. Lederer

Calling for an end to violence in southern Lebanon, the Security Council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to cut the U.N. force which is helping to restore peace following Israel's troop withdrawal in May.

The council urged Lebanon to deploy its troops throughout the territory ''to ensure the return of its effective authority and presence in the south.'' Lebanon has so far refused to send its army to the border, saying it does not want its troops to serve as Israel's border guards.

The resolution calls for a reduction in the U.N. force from 5,800 troops to 4,500 troops, the level before Israel's pullout from southern Lebanon after an 18-year occupation. It sets a July 31 deadline for implementing the troop reductions.

In a report to the council last week, Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the situation in southern Lebanon generally ''calm and orderly.'' But he denounced Lebanese attacks on Israelis across the U.N.-drawn blue line, the ''reckless behavior'' of Lebanese demonstrators, and the ''overly harsh response'' from Israeli soldiers.

Annan said the simplest way to ensure calm in the area was for all sides to respect the blue line, which marked the withdrawal positions, and for Lebanon to assert its authority up to the line.

Endorsing Annan's recommendations, the Security Council resolution called on the two sides to respect the blue line and exercise ''utmost restraint.'' It condemned ''all acts of violence, expresses concern about the serious breaches and violations of the withdrawal line and urges the parties to put an end to them.''

The council also welcomed Lebanon's establishment of checkpoints in the area vacated by Israel and encouraged the Lebanese government ''to ensure a calm environment throughout the south, including through the control of all checkpoints.''

Saying ''the United States warmly welcomes this move,'' U.S. deputy ambassador Nancy Soderberg stressed that the council's primary concern is stability along the border and the acts of violence that have taken place, including the kidnapping of three Israeli soldiers.

''We remain concerned about the ongoing tensions along the border and urge all parties to exercise restraint and respect the blue line,'' she said. The U.S. has been urging the Lebanese to exercise their authority in the south, she added.

Israel entered Lebanon in 1978 and launched a full-scale invasion in 1982. From 1985 until its withdrawal, Israel occupied part of southern Lebanon as a buffer against guerrilla attacks on northern Israel.

Under Security Council resolutions, the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, was charged with verifying any Israeli pullout, assisting Lebanon in reasserting authority in the area and helping restore peace.

Now that U.N. troops had confirmed Israel's troop withdrawal, the main task for the force is to help restore peace and security in southern Lebanon, Annan said in the report.

While U.N. patrols, observation and talks with the parties could be performed by unarmed observers alone, Annan said it was prudent in view of the current Mideast situation to recommend that they be carried out by a combination of unarmed observers and armed infantry units similar to the current U.N. operation.

The Security Council endorsed this proposal, but also said it ''looks forward to the early fulfillment of the mandate of UNIFIL.''

It also stressed the importance of achieving ''a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.''

The resolution extends for six months the current U.N. mission, which expires Jan. 31. It asks Annan for a report by April 30 on plans to reconfigure the U.N. force, and on tasks that could be carried out by the U.N. Truce Supervision Organization in the Golan Heights, or UNTSO. Annan's report recommended that two battalions be deployed along the border.

The council would then review the situation by early May to consider possible action regarding UNIFIL and UNTSO on the basis of the report.