Pentagon Official Expresses Fear over Extremist Plots against Lebanese Army

A U.S. defense official has warned that extremist groups could carry out terrorist attacks against the Lebanese army and state institutions, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

The Pentagon official, who was not named, expressed fears that the terrorist networks would attack the military and some government buildings after making several threats in that regard.

The official also expressed his “extreme concern” over the deterioration in the situation in Lebanon as the fighting in neighboring Syria between regime troops and rebels intensifies.

The battles between the Syrian army, which is backed by Hizbullah, and the mainly Sunni rebels come as President Michel Suleiman's six-year term expires in May, posing a threat to the presidential elections, al-Joumhouria said.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front in Lebanon stated on Sunday that the Lebanese army “has become a pawn in the hands of the Shiite project” in Lebanon.

It accused Shiite members of the army of taking part in the fighting in Syria, “defying any side to hold those who ordered them to go there accountable for their actions.”