Jaafari Accuses Salafist of Kidnapping Lebanese Pilgrims, Urges End to Arms Smuggling
Syria's Permanent Representative to the U.N. Bashar al-Jaafari reiterated that his country is confronting “terrorist groups” that are trained, protected and funded by some Arab and regional countries, including Lebanon.
“Some Arab and regional countries should stop providing these groups with funds, weapons, political support and media coverage,” Jaafari said on Wednesday in a press conference held after a U.N. Security Council session.
He urged the international community to specify those who are working against U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's plan and those who finance and harbor armed terrorist groups.
In a previous letter sent to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on May 17, Jaafari claimed that 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.”
Syria has continuously called on Lebanese authorities to boost security measures along the Lebanese-Syrian border and to control arms smuggling into the country.
The two countries share a 330-kilometer border but have yet to agree on official demarcation.
On Wednesday, Jaafari pointed out that Syria referred to the U.N. Security Council the names of the “terrorists” aboard the Lutfallah II vessel which was carrying weapons from Libya to the opposition and was captured by the Lebanese authorities.
He accused the navy of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) of allowing the ship carrying weapons from Libya to cross the Lebanese waters.
Lutfallah II vessel was stopped by the Lebanese navy on April 27 off the northern coast.
The army said that it seized three containers containing large quantity of heavy, medium and light ammunition, adding that the 11 crew members of various Arab and foreign nationalities were detained.
Regarding the 11 Lebanese pilgrims, who were abducted in the Syrian province of Aleppo last week, the Syrian envoy held a Syrian Salafist responsible for the kidnapping.
“A Syrian Salafist opposition figure spoke live on a Lebanese channel from Jeddah two days ago, assuming responsibility for the abduction of Lebanese citizens in Syria,” Jaafari said.
On Monday, Syrian al-Ahrar party secretary general Ibrahim al-Zohbi, who is currently in Saudi Arabia, announced that his mediation with the abductors of the 11 Lebanese pilgrims in Aleppo has ended.
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