S/PV.5320 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Lebanon in which he requests to be invited to participate in the consideration of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. After consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council. “The Security Council condemns in the strongest terms the 12 December terrorist bombing in the suburbs of Beirut that killed Lebanese member of Parliament, editor and journalist Gebrane Tueni, a patriot who was an outspoken symbol of freedom and the sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon, as well as three others. It expresses its deepest sympathy to the families of those killed and injured. “The Security Council reiterates its deepest concern about the destabilizing impact of political assassinations and other terrorist acts in Lebanon. It reiterates also its warning that the sponsors of today's and previous terrorist attacks against political leaders and leading members of civil society in Lebanon, whose obvious aim is to undermine Lebanon's security, stability, sovereignty, national unity, political independence and press freedom, will not be permitted to succeed and will finally be held accountable for their crimes. “The Security Council welcomes the determination and commitment of the Government of Lebanon to bring to justice all those responsible for this assassination and others before, and expresses its readiness to consider positively any request for assistance in this regard from the Lebanese Government. “The Security Council reaffirms its resolution 1559 (2004), and reiterates once again its call for the strict respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence of Lebanon. The Security Council urges all States, in accordance with its resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1566 (2004), to cooperate fully in the fight against terrorism.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2005/61. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.