Bassil Urges U.S. to Aid Lebanon in Battle against Takfiris

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil urged on Wednesday the United States to take a legal action against crimes committed by terrorist organizations in the Iraqi city of Mosul and the northeastern border town of Arsal.

“The U.S. should take action against the crimes against humanity that are committed by takfiri organizations in Mosul and Arsal,” Bassil told U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale during a meeting at the Bustros Palace.

The minister briefed the ambassador on preparations by his ministry of a legal study that will be sent to the International Criminal Court to condemn Israel for its crimes in Gaza, and the jihadist attack on Mosul.

He thanked him in advance for “any urgent aid” the U.S. administration has to offer to the Lebanese army.

Clashes erupted over the weekend between the army and Islamist gunmen in Arsal following the arrest of al-Nusra Front member Imad Ahmed Jomaa.

During a press conference later Wednesday, Bassil said: “Lebanon cannot be a fertile ground for terrorism. But the encampments of Syrian refugees could be so.”

“We have started to witness the Lebanese army's victory on the armed groups,” he added.

Bassil appealed to the international community during a meeting for the Palestine Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Tehran on Monday to offer arms to the Lebanese military in order to enable it to confront terrorism.

“The countries that are not capable of offering us any military aid should at least file a complaint at the ICC regarding the practices of ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) in Mosul and Arsal.”

Thousands of Christians in Iraq were forced to abandon their homes in the main northern city of Mosul last month following threats by Islamist.

H.K.

M.T.