UNITED NATIONS – In a policy shift, the U.N. Security Council yesterday increased pressure on Syria and its proxy armed militias in Lebanon, releasing a statement calling for the “disbanding and disarming of Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias,” and delegitimizing Damascus’s ally, President Lahoud.

The language of the statement, according to the top U.N. envoy in Lebanon, Terje Roed Larsen, was aimed chiefly at Hezbollah, which is backed and financed by Iran and Syria, as well as Palestinian Arab groups. “There is complete consensus” in the council, Mr. Larsen said, “and this is why this is important.”

In October Mr. Larsen reported on a cross-border movement of arms and people to and from Syria” in violation of the council resolutions. Some council members – including France, which has taken the lead on Lebanon along with America – at the time argued against addressing the issue of disarmament.

France hoped that as an elected party represented in the government, Hezbollah would abandon its armed campaign and become part of the political process.

“Legitimate political parties are not armed,” America’s U.N. ambassador, John Bolton, said.

Although Mr. Larsen has moved toward the same conclusion as Mr. Bolton, France and others have called for patience.

“We have not changed our position,” the French ambassador, Jean Marc de La Sabliere told reporters yesterday. France believes that the disarming of Hezbollah and the other militias “should be done through national dialogue,” he said. France earlier argued that the U.N.-led investigation into the killing of Prime Minister Hariri should be addressed first, leaving the sensitive disarmament issue for a later date.

Nevertheless, a spate of brazen political assassinations since the February 2005 Hariri killing has convinced the council that “it’s time to accelerate the process,” as Mr. de La Sabliere said yesterday. The council statement called on all parties concerned, “in particular the government of Syria,” to cooperate.

The council also said Lebanon has yet to hold “free and fair presidential elections conducted according to the Lebanese constitutional rules, without foreign interference and influence.” In 2004, under heavy Syrian pressure, the Lebanese parliament extended the term of Syrian ally Mr. Lahoud, violating a constitutional term limit. The council’s statement rendered Mr. Lahoud’s presidency illegal, diplomats said yesterday.

Last week, Secretary-General Annan told reporters that he was not sure a Security Council statement addressing all these issues at this time “is going to add anything.” One council diplomat said that in yesterday’s closed-door consultations, Mr. Bolton expressed dismay at Mr. Annan’s remarks. “The Security Council makes these decisions, not the secretary-general,” Mr. Bolton told The New York Sun afterward.