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Syria Officially Asked Lebanon for Border Control Coordination

Syria has officially asked Lebanon for border control coordination between the two countries which requires an understanding on a number of measures, including countering terrorism and ending smuggling along the northern and eastern frontiers.
Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Thursday quoted sources as saying that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has raised this issue with his Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman at their recent summit in Damascus.

The Lebanese Cabinet is studying Syria's request to come up with a response.

The sources said that the Syrian request for border coordination with Lebanon coincided with Damascus' keenness to deny any knowledge of the much talked about Syrian military intervention in Lebanon.

They said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has discussed rumors about Damascus' intentions of a military comeback to Lebanon with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in New York in light of what had been echoed in France that Paris, along with the European Union, does mind entrusting Syria with Lebanon's security.

They said Rice and Assistant Secretary of State David Welch -- who had also met Muallem in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly – told the Syrian FM that it was impossible for Damascus to think of crossing the border into Lebanese territory not for any reason because this would be a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and UNSC resolutions as well as a challenge to the international community.

Al-Hayat said the sources quoted Muallem as saying that Syria "would never think of intervening."

"All we want is security coordination between the two countries in an effort to control the common border in order to hit extremists and end all sort of smuggling," Muallem was quoted as saying.

The sources also quoted Assad as telling leaders of the Lebanese opposition at a recent meeting that Damascus has no intentions for a Syrian army comeback to Lebanon.

"We want to reach a security coordination formula … to counter terrorism and end arms smuggling," Assad was quoted as saying.

Beirut, 02 Oct 08, 09:32


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