Report: Army Intelligence Arrests Jordanian Extremist Funding Syrian Rebels

A Jordanian with alleged an extremist jihadist group has admitted to the Lebanese Army intelligence that he provided military assistance to Syrian armed groups via Lebanon.

According to al-Akhbar newspaper, 43-year-old Mahmoud S. was detained 10 days ago in in the Bekaa district of Baalbek in his possession a fake identification card for a Palestinian man called Ahmed Hujeir.

The Jordanian man “proudly” admitted, without any pressure, that he is funding Islamist jihadist groups, al-Akhbar report said.

“The detainee acknowledge during interrogations that he received $2,200,000 from an official in the Qatari Red Crescent Khaled Diab to hand it over to a Lebanese Sheikh identified as A. A.,” the report said.

The newspaper reported that the Lebanese Shiekh resides in the town of Ber Elias in Bekaa and is a member of an association known as “Muslims Without Borders.”

The suspect allegedly bought 30 RPGs and 300 rockets that were smuggled into Syria through a Syrian man.

The report added that the Jordanian man “bought 100 Kalashnikov and ammunition from Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian Refugee camp (near the port city of Sidon) at the cost of $40,000.”

The suspect reportedly paid a sum of money to a well-known Salafist Sheikh, who hails from the northern city of Tripoli, to push his supporters to continue their battle against the Alawite Jabal Mohsen.

The detainee, according to al-Akhbar, that at the beginning of the turmoil in Syria in March 2011 he decided to “aid the Syria rebels.”

The report pointed out that the suspect was referred to the military court.

Syria's civil war has exacerbated sectarian tensions in Lebanon and its security situation has deteriorated due to various groups intervention in battles in the neighboring country.

Although Lebanon has officially adopted a position of neutrality in Syria's war, its people are sharply divided with Hizbullah and its allies backing President Bashar Assad's regime and the March 14 coalition supports the rebellion.