Report: Government Mulling to Ask for Anti-IS Coalition Support
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Lebanese government is mulling to ask the anti-Islamic State coalition to expand its operations to the Lebanese-Syrian border area from where extremists are carrying out attacks on the Lebanese army, a report said Friday.
High-ranking political sources told the Kuwaiti al-Seyassah newspaper that the cabinet is studying to officially ask the coalition to carry out air raids on the IS and al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front militants.
The threat of the extremists first came to Lebanon in August when they overran the northeastern border town of Arsal and took hostage Lebanese soldiers and policemen during deadly clashes with the army.
Last week, the international coalition promised stronger efforts to stop the jihadists and squash the spread of their extremist ideology at an anti-IS coalition meeting in London.
The U.S.-led coalition was established in September in Jeddah at a meeting led by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to fight the IS, which controls a large swath of Syria and Iraq.
On Tuesday, Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi called on the coalition to defend Lebanon if it was invaded by terrorists.
Qazzi told An Nahar daily that the Lebanese authorities should officially ask the coalition to make a pledge on protecting Lebanon against terrorist organizations.
According to al-Seyassah's sources, the control of terrorists on the major part of the border with Lebanon, pushed cabinet members to study the request for the coalition to assist the Lebanese army against the rising threat of extremists.
The Lebanese authorities are concerned about the attacks that the IS and al-Nusra Front fighters are carrying out on the army along the border, said the sources.
But Lebanese officials are mostly concerned about their plan to incorporate Lebanon into the territories they are holding in Syria and Iraq, they added.
The latest clashes with the Lebanese army took place near the northeastern village of Ras Baalbek last week.
Eight soldiers were killed in the attack, which was the most serious assault since the militants seized the Lebanese servicemen in the August cross-border raid.
G.K.
H.K.
30 January 2015, 09:02
61
Would be much better, if we cooperated more with the Syrian army instead of begging for the U.S/Gulf states.
30 January 2015, 09:35
27
If we cooperated with the Syrian Army, whose barrel bombs have killed tens of thousands of women and children and sent millions more into displacement. Yeah Mystic, let's cooperate with Assad, who buys oil from the terrorists he claims to be fighting. Let's have Assad drop barrel bombs on Arsal and kill all the takfiri women and children living in tents with no clothes and food in the middle of winter.
30 January 2015, 09:55
61
Killing women and children, is the speciality of the West. Arsal should first be emptied of civilians, then it can be pounded by the LAF from one side, and the SAA from the other, that's the way to counter takfiris, the Nahr al bared way. Drop your American propaganda nick, it will only harm the LAF and Lebanese people.
30 January 2015, 10:09
25
It doesn't take an American to be against a tyrant who kills his own people.
Arsal should be emptied of civilians loooool the terrorists will blend in with them (sounds like Hezbollah fighters blending in with civilians in Hareb Tammouz).
30 January 2015, 21:25
00
Actually Lahoud, was the one to give the order on the Nahr Al Bared operation, not Michel Sulaiman, he was not even President back then.
30 January 2015, 10:12
25
and the SAA from the other, that's the way to counter takfiris, the Nahr al bared way.
Lmaoooooooo the Syrian Army did not fight alongside the LAF at Nahr al-Bared, are you on drugs, Mystic??? And who was the commander of the operation?? Michel Sleiman ring a bell? And didn't Nasrallah say "Baabda Palace needs special care" because of Sleiman's "wooden equations"??? Lmao so funny Mystic. Good night.
30 January 2015, 10:38
51
Emile Lahoud ring any bell? You are like your Mcdonalds dude from Texas, didn't write Syria enganged there, but the LAF should work in that same way, as they did back then.
30 January 2015, 15:46
03
Émile Lahoud, the Christian from Baabdat who spent most of his days at the Yarez country club while the Syrians did all his work for him? Yeah I remember that traitor.
30 January 2015, 21:25
00
Actually Lahoud, was the one to give the order on the Nahr Al Bared operation, not Michel Sulaiman, he was not even President back then.
30 January 2015, 10:05
26
If it wasnt for assad and Iran Lebanon would be a 1st World country... "assad Help" = stealing and destroying our Beautiful country.
30 January 2015, 11:58
05
just give our soldiers the right weapons and they will do the best job
even the anti takfiry coalition will ask the LAF for help
and whoever stands against arming our soldiers is a takfiry agent
just arm our soldiers damn it
god bless democracy
30 January 2015, 15:56
00
Anti Coalition strikes on ISIS and Al Nusra in the anti Lebanon mountains to stop their attacks on Ras Baalbek would be a great sign that they are serious and not just playing a geopolitical game!
Either way... Oua Nabka is right! Arm the LAF and they will do an even better and impressive job than the Kurds did in Kabani!
30 January 2015, 16:17
10
Peacelover... The latest western estimates (The Australian newspaper), is that there are 22,000 foreign fighters in syria that are fighting with ISIS and Al Nusra aka the syrian opposition. Estimates of only 5000 foreign fighters on the Syrian government side (most from hezbollah). Remove all foreigners and the overwhelming majority, (80% of Syrians siding with the syrian government) and the "Syrian Civil war" is over!
This is reality!
Did you hear about the 12 poor teenage boys in Mosul that were publicly beheaded because they watched Iraq v Iran in the Quarter Final of the Asian Cup!!!! WTF? Seriously? This is a sick movement that needs to be crushed!
30 January 2015, 17:22
00
peacelover... I agree that the Baath regime of Syria under Afez el Assad is barbaric and criminal for what they have done to Lebanon. But lets not forget that Assad's VP from 1983 - 2005 was Abdul Khaddam, who is a main leader in the "syrian opposition". Most of these "free syrain politicians" are ex criminals! Bashar Assad legalised opposition parties, naturalised the kurds, removed the occupying troops from Lebanon and opened the 1st ever syrian embassy in Lebanon! Most importantly, majority of syrians support him! Its not up to us to decide if he should go when the vast majority of Syrians (even sunni syrians) back his government against the Terrorists! His permanent grip on power in syria is over but it will only happen through dialogue not isis or al nusra's way!
