Ali Meets Mansour: Lutfallah II Weapons Destined to Syrian Opposition
Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali hailed on Wednesday the Lebanese navy’s interception of weapons aboard the Sierra Leone-flagged Lutfallah II ship.
“The arms containers were destined to the Syrian opposition and their accomplices… especially when the political and security leadership in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other countries are behind the incidents in Syria, Lebanon and the region,” Ali told reporters after meeting with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour.
Asked if the Syrian opposition is being armed, he said that the process is done through humanitarian organizations or aid relief agencies.
“We hope that (U.N.-Arab envoy Kofi) Annan’s mission succeeds,” Ali noted.
However, a senior official in the Free Syrian Army denied on Tuesday that the army has any links to the ship.
The unnamed officer instead blamed the Syrian regime for being behind the ship.
He stressed that an international or Arab decision to provide the Free Syrian Army with weapons has not been taken yet.
For his part, Mansour stressed that Lebanese authorities are keen on playing a “positive” and “effective” role along the Lebanese-Syrian border.
He expressed optimism concerning the interception of Lutfallah II, saying it was an important accomplishment.
The vessel was stopped by the navy off the northern coast on Friday and towed to the port of Selaata and then to the navy base in Beirut.
The eleven-member crew – eight Syrians, two Egyptians and an Indian - and the ship’s agent were arrested.
Investigations revealed that no Lebanese national was involved in the case.
The Syrian regime has repeatedly said that weapons are being smuggled from Lebanon to arm the rebel Free Syrian Army.
On the Syrian developments, Ali said that the Syrian regime is seeking swift political solutions to resolve the crisis “based on dialogue, and confronting all meddling with Syrian security.”
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