Hilli Calls on Hizbullah to Reconsider Stance over Syrian Conflict
Arab League Deputy Secretary General Ahmed bin Hilli described on Friday Hizbullah's involvement in battles in Syria as “dangerous development,” calling on the party to reconsider its stance.
“Hizbullah's involvement in Syria battles complicates the matters,” Hilli said in comments published in As Safir newspaper.
The Arab diplomat called on Hizbullah to “reconsider” its stance and to “join the Lebanese consensus over Syria and not to fuel the strife in the neighboring country.”
The Baabda Declaration was unanimously adopted during a national dialogue session in June 2012. It calls for Lebanon to disassociate itself from regional crises, most notably the one in Syria.
“Hizbullah's involvement in Syria is undermining the role of the resistance and affecting the situation in Lebanon,” Hilli said.
Hizbullah's involvement in Syria has raised fears the conflict could spill over into Lebanon, where deadly clashes between supporters and opponents of the Syrian regime have periodically erupted in the northern city of Tripoli.
Syria has long been a crucial conduit for arms supplied to Hizbullah by Iran. Iran, Syria, Hizbullah and some Palestinian groups view themselves as an axis of "resistance" against Israel and the West.
Hizbullah is believed to have sent at least 1,700 fighters to Qusayr more than a week ago to support the regime's assault on the rebel stronghold. France estimates that 3,000 to 4,000 Hizbullah fighters are operating in Syria.
Hundreds of civilians have reportedly been killed in Qusayr and thousands could be trapped. The United Nations estimates that more than 94,000 people have been killed since the initially peaceful uprising began in March 2011.
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