Salam Says Lebanon Mulling Participation in Coalition against IS

Prime Minister Tammam Salam revealed on Wednesday that the Foreign Ministry is evaluating the final statement of the first high-level meeting of the 60-member coalition trying to crush the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and in Syria to decide whether Lebanon will enter the alliance or not.

“Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil will evaluate the matter, although Lebanon has limited military capacities to enter such a coalition,” Salam said in comments to An Nahar newspaper at the end of his official visit to Brussels.

IS declared a "caliphate" in areas under its control in June, imposing its harsh interpretation of Islamic law and committing widespread atrocities.

Concern over the rise of IS prompted Washington to form a coalition of Western and Arab nations that has carried out a barrage of air strikes on its positions in Iraq and Syria.

Salam, who returned at night to Beirut, told the newspaper that the European Union is seeking solutions to the region's turmoil through putting an end to the war in Syria, which would end Lebanon's sufferings.

The Premier held a meeting on Tuesday with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the Union's high representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.

Salam said that he invited Juncker to travel Lebanon, pointing out that Mogherinni has already scheduled a visit to Beirut.

An Nahar reported that the PM discussed with Mogherini Hizbullah's intervention in the war raging in the neighboring country Syria and the ongoing presidential vacuum.

“Lebanon is passing through a difficult stage but democracy has survived such circumstances,” Salam said.

“When the government was formed it adopted the dissociation policy, which Hizbullah agreed on but unfortunately there is a difference between verbal commitments and actions.”

Hizbullah has deployed thousands of fighters into Syria to back President Bashar Assad's army as he battles insurgents who have been trying to overthrow him for the past four years.

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