The mandate for the 5,825-troop United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon was extended by three months Friday by the unanimous vote of the 15-member Security Council.
The unusual agreement among Security Council nations marked the first time the Soviet Union and its allies did not abstain on the mandate renewal vote for the peacekeeping operation in south Lebanon, established in 1978.
“The Soviet Union shares the opinion of Lebanon on the need to retain the presence of UNIFIL,” said the Soviet Union’s chief delegate, Yuri Dubinin, referring to the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon. “UNIFIL acts as a decisive factor in impeding the plans of Israel in Lebanon.”
The Soviets have in the past not given support for UN peacekeeping operations. In Friday’s vote, Bulgaria joined with the Soviet Union in favor of the UNIFIL mandate extension. In the last six months, UNIFIL troops suffered 18 casualties from gunfire, including three dead.
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