Syria Slams Ban’s Report on 1559, Denies Infiltrating Lebanese Territory

Syria slammed United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s recent report on the implementation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1559, saying that it has not meddled in Lebanese affairs or infiltrated Lebanese territory, reported the daily An Nahar on Friday.

Syria’s permanent ambassador to the U.N. Bashar al-Jaafari informed Ban in a letter: “The majority of the information on Syria mentioned in the report is based on misleading and fabricated media sources.”

“Dragging Syria’s name into Lebanese internal affairs is part of a campaign against Syria,” he added.

“Syria is always keen on Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence, which is a matter the secretary general chose to overlook,” he continued.

“He is fully aware, as he claims, that weapons are being smuggled from Lebanon to Syria and the authorities from both countries have thwarted these operations,” Jaafari stated.

He also accused Ban of targeting Syria and forging facts by citing matters that have not been reported by the media, including “allegations that Syrian troops had infiltrated Lebanese territory, which were proven to be false.”

“Filing false reports to the United Nations on Lebanon and Syria is a violation of resolution 1559 and the Security Council should hold those responsible for them accountable,” the Syrian ambassador stressed.

He repeated Syria’s rejection of Ban’s report, including the articles on the demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian border, saying that this is an issue that only concerns the two countries.

“The real obstacle that is obstructing the demarcation is Israel and its occupation of the Golan Heights and Shabaa Farms,” he noted.

Meanwhile, EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule voiced his concern over the reports in Syrian incursions into Lebanon.

The visiting official held talks on Thursday with President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Speaker Nabih Berri, and Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour.

Jaafari’s letter came in light of Syrian troops planting mines along a region bordering the northern Lebanese area of Wadi Khaled, reported Agence France Presse on Thursday.

"Lebanese officials told us that the Syrians undertook the measure to prevent weapons smuggling," a Lebanese official told AFP.

"A number of Syrian soldiers were also seen deploying on their side of the border, near the Syrian villages of Heet and Buwayt," he added.

Sources told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in remarks published on Friday that the Syrian army planted the mines in light of reports that defectors had fled Syria towards Lebanon.

“A considerable number of defectors had abandoned their weapons and fled to Lebanon after refusing to take part in the crackdown against anti-regime protestors in Homs,” they added.

The Syrian regime has been waging a bloody crackdown against anti-regime demonstrators since March.

Army defections have been on the rise recently as the crackdown has not relented.