Miqati Hits Back, Says Syria Letter to Ban 'Inflames Disputes'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Friday hit back at Syria over a letter sent by its permanent U.N. envoy Bashar al-Jaafari to U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon about the presence of alleged anti-Syria “terrorists” in Lebanon.
Miqati stressed that “the Lebanese government is fully performing its duty as to combating any type of terror operations, and in monitoring the Lebanese border, controlling the security situation and addressing any security gaps.”
The premier noted that “violations are also occurring from the Syrian side of the border, as everyone knows the nature of the intersecting border between the two countries and how difficult it is to control the vast border area between them.”
“Therefore, we consider the remarks voiced by the Syrian envoy as an inflammation of the disputes, at a time we are seeking through the relevant diplomatic and security channels to bridge differences and tackle problems calmly, carefully and in a manner that would preserve the good relations between the two countries and peoples,” Miqati added.
Some Lebanese areas near the Lebanese-Syrian border “have become an incubator for terrorist elements from the al-Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood organizations who are tampering with the security of Syria and its citizens,” Jaafari said in his letter to Ban.
These elements “are seeking to undermine the six-point plan of U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan,” said the letter.
The letter claims that “arms depots” have been created in Lebanon’s border areas, noting that the alleged weapons are being shipped “by sea or on planes belonging to certain countries, which are shipping arms to Lebanon with the aim of smuggling them into Syria.”
The letter mentioned some incidents “confirming that terrorist groups in Syria are being supplied with arms and that terrorists are being smuggled across the Lebanese-Syrian border,” noting that “the offices of some charitable societies supervised by Salafist groups and the Mustaqbal Movement in Lebanese border areas ... have been turned into places for receiving and harboring terrorist elements from the al-Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood organizations.”
The letter added that wounded opposition fighters “are being treated under fake names in hospitals and dispensaries affiliated with those groups and finance by countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar.”
The letter also claims that “50 terrorists are stationed in the town of al-Qalamoun in Tripoli under the command of Khaled al-Tanak, Khaled Hamza and Zakariya Ghaleb al-Khouli.”
The letter said the alleged terrorists “possess IDs carrying the stamp of the U.N. that they use to go through Lebanese army checkpoints.”
Jaafari added in his letter that Colonel Riad al-Asaad, chief of the rebel Free Syrian Army, had “recently arrived in Lebanon to prepare for creating a Syrian buffer zone within Lebanese territory.”
18 May 2012, 23:11
03
"“the Lebanese government is fully performing its duty as to combating any type of terror operations, and in monitoring the Lebanese border, controlling the security situation and addressing any security gaps.”
why then are there still heavy fights in tripoli? can t the army stop it? or are you doing the minimum to inflame tripoli and accuse the "terrorists" of doing so?
19 May 2012, 01:00
22
Why the hell is Lebanon in the arab league? The only thing we have in common with the arabs is the language and ABSOLUTELY nothing else, we are Phoenicians formally known as the canaanites,semetic Aramaic speaking sea ferring people with six thousand years of history. Please give us our lebanon back and leave us alone.
19 May 2012, 02:15
04
Miqati, who knows how severe the anti-syrian-regime sentiment is in the suni street is playing politics to help maintain suni credibility and to remain in parliament come the next elections. At the end of the day there are no 'centrists' when blood is spilling in an ultra-sectarian region. tayebe miqati, 3ali w khood jumhoor lol.
19 May 2012, 03:31
03
Why can't Jaafar shut the border and tis way he is secure? enough with this moron, it's been more than a year since the revolt and they cannot put out the fire so they are accusing the air that blows from Turkey and Lebanon. Go get him Miqati.
19 May 2012, 03:43
04
Send a letter to the UN demanding demarcation of the borders with Syria and the building of a fence. Syria should oblige since they are complaining about the inflow of weapons and terrorists. Hit the metal when it is hot. Follow the liar to the thresh hold of their door (poor translation from Arabic I know).
19 May 2012, 08:34
00
Bravo Mikati ! and @ enough, i would have wanted all of them to respond, but we know very well specially General, he is a syrian agent in Lebanon now, he will not dare contradict his master which he thinks is governing the most democratic country in the world...Anyways i hope bachar wont make that mistake, because i think all lebanese from any religious background wont accept that. but in the same time it might be the best strategy to get all together and finish Assad for good.
19 May 2012, 08:52
00
i actually wouldnt be suprised one bit if he enters into an electoral alliance with hariri come 2013, this is lebanon where jumblatization is always a political possibility.
19 May 2012, 16:27
00
Assad was a little boy when Ahsrafieh, Zahle and Qanat were burial ground for his lousy army.
Yalla ya shater, go study your history before you make the biggest mistake of your life.
Time to re-load...war drums are beating!!!
Tripoli and Akkar, it is your turn now to show our neighbors some lebanese hospitality...
20 May 2012, 04:19
00
It is laughable that there are 50 "terrorists" in Qalamoun. I was sitting in a public coffee shop in Qalamoun with several people who are defending the syrian regime. When I stated that this is a criminal regime who kills its own people, couple of friends from the town took me to the side and told me to be carefull as those supporting the Syrian regime have no qualm against making people disappear. Also the Syrian regime is supported by elements of the security and intelligence service in lebanon.
20 May 2012, 04:28
00
The letter also claims that “50 terrorists are stationed in the town of al-Qalamoun in Tripoli under the command of Khaled al-Tanak, Khaled Hamza and Zakariya Ghaleb al-Khouli.” So how come people there are wary about criticizing the criminal regime in Syria and how come the few still supporting that regime in Qalamoun still can voice their opinions without fear!!! I should know: when I did criticize the regime in the cofee shop, couple of my relative told me to be wary "you have children. you are visiting. you have a good life. They will make you disappear or if lucky you will have a beating." "These" include pro-Syrian thugs and unfortunatelly elements in the intelligency and security forces in Lebanon that are loyal above all to the criminal regime in Syria. Miqati had better stand up to the butcher of damascus and their sycophants - otherwise his political future is over as I doubt anyone will vote for him if he does not develop a spine and a conscience.
