Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at the Security Council Open Debate on the Middle East, October 15, 2012

Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Mission to the United Nations

New York, NY

October 15, 2012
Excerpts:
No one can deny that Asad's war against the Syrian people now poses real challenges to all of Syria's neighbors, including Lebanon. From deadly Syrian regime attacks across the border to tens of thousands of refugees, Lebanon is already suffering the consequences of this conflict. Hizballah's active and growing support for Asad's war exposes Hassan Nasrallah's claims of promoting Lebanon's national interest as nothing more than a deadly form of deception. The group's leaders may try to change the subject by invoking hollow rhetoric about so-called resistance, but the truth is plain to see: Nasrallah's fighters are now part of Asad's killing machine and Hizballah leaders continue to plot with Iran new measures to prop up a murderous and desperate dictator.
We encourage the international community to counter Hizballah's terrorist activity and do more to expose Hizballah's deepening involvement in Asad's war. We commend the Lebanese government – and the Lebanese Armed Forces in particular – for maintaining stability and law and order at this critical juncture. We welcome the efforts of President Sleiman and others to promote dialogue, including with respect to the disarmament of illegal militias, as called for in UN Security Council Resolution 1559, and we reiterate our firm commitment to a stable, sovereign, and independent Lebanon.