Syria Demands Lebanon to Hand over Armed Men, Describing them as ‘Outlaws’
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Syrian authorities demanded Lebanon officially on Friday to hand over the armed Syrian nationals that sought refuge in the eastern Bekaa area over the weekend, As Safir newspaper reported.
The Syrian Justice Ministry sent an official request to the Lebanese authorities demanding them to “hand over the armed groups that were detained in Lebanon,” informed sources told the daily.
They noted that the memorandum was sent to General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza, who in turn sent a copy to Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi.
On Sunday, media reports said the Lebanese army detained 35 armed Syrians, who allegedly belong to the Free Syrian Army, and had crossed to the Bekaa region with refugees escaping the crackdown of the Assad regime on protestors.
According to the bilateral judicial agreement signed between the two countries in 1951, which was amended in 1991, and in addition to the defense agreement inked in 1991, the Lebanese authorities are obliged to hand over to Syria the detainees.
“The armed men, according to the Syrian authorities, are outlaws,” sources noted.
Media reports said on Tuesday that the army released 28 out of the 35 armed Syrians, after investigations revealed that they haven’t used their arms in Lebanese territories or Syria, while the other 7 were referred to the competent judiciary for using their weapons inside Lebanon and allegedly injuring a Lebanese soldier.
However, the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported on Thursday that the army released the 7 armed men, who were classified among the refugees entering into Lebanon from Syria’s Homs province.
“The armed men who were detained by the army were referred to the competent judiciary in order to take the necessary measures against them,” a member who participated in Thursday’s Higher Defense Council meeting told As Safir.
President Michel Suleiman headed an “extraordinary” meeting for the HDC at the Baabda Palace amid warnings by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly against handing over to Syrian authorities the refugees or dissidents, including members of the FSA, who crossed into Lebanon fleeing the turmoil in their country.
“A number of the refugees returned to their country,” a source told the daily.
The source noted that the measures along the Lebanese-Syrian border were boosted as the security forces are tightening their grip according to the requirements.
An Nahar reported that the decisions taken by the council remained confidential although the daily said that the gatherers stressed the importance of controlling the arms smuggling along the border.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told al-Joumhouria newspaper that security is under control along the Lebanese-Syrian border to halt the infiltration of armed men and smugglers in the two directions.
The Higher Defense Council expressed in a statement “relief” over the security situation in the country.
According to An Nahar, the Lebanese and Syrian army boosted their measures along the border amid conflicting reports on the developments.
09 March 2012, 10:48
27
"Syria Demands Lebanon to Hand over Armed Men, Describing them as ‘Outlaws’ "
Huh?? They want us to give em hezbothugs?? Mmmmm......OK!
10 March 2012, 10:36
00
it aparently took you no time at all to come up with your lines since you "borrowed" them...way to keep the discussion useful!
11 March 2012, 06:55
00
Wow dude. You guys are touchy and easily get defensive. Not everyone thinks like you. Majority of Lebanese disagree with you. Just like the majority of Syrians are against Bashar the butcher. Sorry to burst your bubble.
09 March 2012, 11:01
06
let lebanon exchange these armed syrian with the lebanese held in prisons in syria or the syrian authority give them details of their fate
09 March 2012, 12:02
17
How about Huzb Allah hands over the 4 hariri assassins first and Ahmad Jibril is arrested (a Syrian sponsored murderer) and how about those Lebanese prisoners that disappeared in Syria? Aoun forgot about them since getting power, but others haven't.
09 March 2012, 12:23
33
we do not need another naher el bared send all these fanatics to where they came from if not to syria send them back to saoudieh or qatar
09 March 2012, 17:47
43
these are considered freedom fighters. respect them please, especially for the sacrifices they are making.
I do not accept the fact they exchaanged fire with the lebanese army, but that does not mean to send them to their death to the syrian regime.
by the way guys, especially those in the south and bekaa, watch out because very soon israel is launching an all atack to destry hizbushaitan.
do not bother to come to other regions because you will not be welcome.
your days of muredring lebanese are close to be over
11 March 2012, 00:02
00
You sound like an idiot. Your chances of being killed by the Israelis are much higher than any of HA fighters. Plus you don't sound like a hospitable or friendly type to help anyone.
11 March 2012, 07:01
00
You figured all that out about this individual by just reading their comment? Wow!!! Either you are real good or have a crystal ball. Or you are just a bigger idiot.
09 March 2012, 18:57
00
Hey Neon .
Thank you for your answers in regards to Hizb and the court,
What about those kidnapped in Syrian Jails?Any comment?
09 March 2012, 19:02
00
long live syrian people they defeated wahabi missionery thugs in homes suported by zionist nato criminals ! we sri lankan proud of the great syrians
09 March 2012, 19:53
13
Here's the ultimate test that will play a major role in what will happen in Lebanon: Will HA interfere and find a way to help the Syrian regime in turning these people over. That will be quite interesting and could be the spark to light the fuse of renewed instability within Lebanon.
To be continued....
09 March 2012, 20:34
23
The most trouble free solution: arrest those with the arms and then hold them indefinitely until the situation in Syria resolves itself. No way should they be free and no way should they be turned over the Syrians.
10 March 2012, 02:51
00
I want to see Mansour go on public TV and demand from Syria to work harder at the borders to stop any illegal infiltration into Lebanon. Is it not the Syrian ambassador last week went on TV and ask the Lebanese Gov to control the borders from infiltration into Syria?
10 March 2012, 04:43
11
Lebanon should hand over anyone to the Syrians...let them bang their heads against the wall.....stand up to Syria, once and for all and finally after 40 years..enough...!!!!!
10 March 2012, 04:44
10
flamethrower: why don't you go to syria and fight for your boy bashar....you can hang with him when it's time...
10 March 2012, 19:08
00
Funny when Arabs speak of democracy or when GG says its the only way to protect Christians. Stupid! One, it takes 100's of years to learn and establish democracies... In that meantime, it's chaos. Two, for a democracy to work, everyone should be equal. In the ME, a Christian will vote for a Christian, a Sunni for the Sunni and the chiite for the chiite. So, minority rights are non existent as long as religion is key. For a democracy to work, there must be an understanding, a secular system based on merits. You are not going to get a democracy in the ME until people think about themselves first and their religion plays no role in politics, society and decision-making. So, dream on... We will all be long gone from this world before a true democratic ME is founded...
