Opposition Criticizes Miqati’s ‘Insufficient’ Message on Syria Shelling
The March 14 opposition has criticized Prime Minister Najib Miqati for asking Lebanon’s ambassador to Damascus to relay to Syrian authorities “objections” over the shelling of Lebanese border towns, a ministerial source said on Tuesday.
The source told al-Liwaa newspaper that Miqati’s request neither included a complaint nor a protest.
On Monday, Miqati requested the ambassador, Michel al-Khoury, to send an urgent message to the Syrian Foreign Ministry over Syria’s ongoing shelling of Lebanese border towns.
The message includes Lebanon’s warning of the “negative repercussions” the shelling is having on the security measures the army has taken to maintain the stability along the Lebanese-Syrian border.
But the ministerial source said the March 14 coalition and mainly al-Mustaqbal movement believe Miqati’s request came late and was “insufficient.”
According to An Nahar daily, the prime minister gave al-Khoury the instructions after coordinating the stance with President Michel Suleiman during their meeting at Baabda palace last Saturday.
Presidential sources said the request came as an attempt “to consolidate Lebanon’s right in defending its land and people without creating any crisis with Syria.”
Sources close to Miqati also told the newspaper that the letter is aimed at putting an end to any action that harms the Lebanese and inflicts casualties among them.
“This is unacceptable,” they said, adding Miqati hopes to resolve this issue immediately.
But their comments came amid overnight shelling on northern towns and villages bordering Syria.
The shelling was the result of violent clashes between Syrian government troops and armed opposition fighters.
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