Ali Blames Lebanon's Policy for Arsal Battles, Says Syria Proposed Military Assistance
Syrian Ambassador Ali Abdul Karim Ali has blamed the jihadists' advance on Lebanon earlier this month on the country's dissociation policy and the government's alleged compliance with regional and international pressure.
The diplomat accused the Lebanese authorities of turning a blind eye to the infiltration of Syria-based gunmen from illegal border crossings and of releasing suspects who have admitted to carrying out terrorist activities in Syria and Lebanon.
Ali told al-Akhbar newspaper published on Thursday that the militants, who overran the northeastern border town of Arsal earlier this month, can only be confronted through “the respect of facts on the ground rather than accusing Hizbullah of being the reason behind it.”
March 14 alliance officials have said the Shiite party's involvement in Syria’s war caused the attack by the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front fighters in Arsal.
Ali said he had proposed military and security support to the Lebanese authorities.
The Syrian foreign ministry reiterated its call for coordination to provide military assistance to Lebanon when the Arsal battles erupted, he told al-Akhbar.
But the ambassador said that the call led to “only a limited level of security and political coordination” at a time when the current circumstances compel “direct talks between the (two countries') governments to put a roadmap (to confront) the common crises.”
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