Syria Urges Action after Lebanon MP 'Implicated' in Protests
Syria's ambassador to Beirut urged Lebanese authorities on Thursday to take legal action following allegations a deputy was funding and arming protesters in Syria.
Ali Abdul Karim Ali "requested Lebanon's authorities and judiciary take action ... in order to preserve brotherly ties between the two countries," according to the transcript of an interview with Hizbullah's Intiqad website.
Ali's comments came a day after Syrian state-run television aired "testimonies" of three people saying they had received funds and weapons from a Sunni Lebanese lawmaker to fuel a wave of protests against the ruling Baath regime.
Anas al-Kanj, who presented himself as the head of an "armed terrorist group," said on camera that he received money and arms from MP Jamal al-Jarrah through an intermediary, Ahmed al-Uda.
Uda also appeared in a pre-recorded segment, identifying himself as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned in Syria.
"The Syrian ambassador confirmed that interference by some Lebanese parties in the events in Syria and the confessions aired on television are very dangerous and could harm ... brotherly ties between Lebanon and Syria," Intiqad's transcript read.
Ali confirmed to AFP that agreements signed between Lebanon and Syria dictated that the judiciary should automatically take action in the case. However, he stopped short of openly accusing Jarrah of inciting dissent in Syria.
Jarrah, a member of Caretaker Prime Minsiter Saad Hariri's Mustaqbal Movement, has denied the allegations.
"We have neither the desire nor the capacity or means to interfere in Syrian affairs. I neither know Ahmed al-Uda nor have any ties to him," he said.
Protests erupted in Syria on March 15 calling for an end to a decades-old state of emergency and demanding sweeping political reforms.
Authorities have repeatedly accused "armed groups" of fuelling unrest in the country.
Damascus was forced to pull its troops from Lebanon under massive international pressure following the 2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafik Hariri, Saad's father, after a 29-year deployment.
Lebanon and Syria agreed to establish diplomatic ties in October 2008, for the first time since their independence 60 years ago.
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