Bassil: We Fear Lebanon Will Become Passageway for Jihadists
Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil stressed on Sunday that terrorism cannot be justified by religion or any other excuse, warning against the spread of the phenomenon in Lebanon and the rest of the Arab world.
He said: “We fear that Lebanon will become a passageway for jihadists.”
He made his remarks during the opening of the Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo, Egypt.
“The solution lies in properly equipping the army,” he added, while hoping that the upcoming Rome conference aimed at bolstering the army will fulfill this demand.
“Can you believe that in the country of coexistence some individuals have taken the path of suicide bombing as a result of the political and religious environment that harbors such sentiments?” he asked the gatherers.
“Terrorism does not have a creed and combating it requires a firm political and security position,” stated Bassil.
“Combating terrorism in Lebanon requires the proper equipping of the army,” he declared.
Addressing the case of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, he warned that this issue has started to take on an “existential turn in the country.”
On a daily basis, Lebanon takes in 45 percent of refugees fleeing Syria, he noted.
This has taken place while Lebanon's state institutions have not received any foreign aid, lamented the foreign minister.
“We can no longer adopt the 'open door' policy and we demand that the refugees be fairly distributed in safe areas in Syria and in near and far Arab countries,” stressed Bassil.
In addition, he highlighted the importance of Lebanon's right to liberate occupied land and resist any Israeli assault.
Lebanon has been hit by several car bombings in recent months carried out by al-Qaida-affiliated groups that are oppose Hizbullah's fighting in Syria.
The bombings have mainly taken place in Hizbullah strongholds.
The party has been taking part in the fighting alongside the Syrian regime forces against a rebel uprising.
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