"Campaign" against Syria Re-Launched after Accusations
Source: Al-Manar TV, 7-11-2008
A few hours after Syrian authorities were able to uncover the network that carried out the terrorist bombing on Damascus's airport road and aired footage of the confessions, which revealed the relationship between the group and some members of the Lebanese Future Movement, the so-called March 14 bloc "campaign" against Syria regained birth, accusing Damascus of "fabricating lies" against the Lebanese "sovereign" bloc.
On Thursday, Syrian State Television showed 12 members of Fatah al-Islam, an al Qaeda-inspired group that first emerged in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, confessing that they had helped plan the September 27 attack on an intelligence complex in the Syrian capital. Wafa al-Abssi, daughter of Fatah al-Islam's leader Shaker al-Absi who is at large, said Fatah al-Islam received money from Salafist groups, including Saudis, and accused Lebanon's Future Movement and some of its banks of involvement in financing the group.
According to Lebanese daily An-Nahar, Syria's accusations pushed the March 14 main figures to carry out a series of consultations and phone calls during the night in order to discuss a possible "response." The bloc is also set to hold a meeting on Friday to announce a unified position over the issue. The daily noted that March 14 leaders might "set specific conditions regarding security coordination between Lebanon and Syria."
A Future movement source, meanwhile, denied what it called the "allegations and lies," broadcast by the Syrian television, saying it "confirms the established relation between Syrian intelligence and Fatah al-Islam."
Meanwhile, the General Coordinator of the March 14 coalition Fares Soueid said that Syrian authorities were trying to mislead the public opinion and give impression that they were concerned about the borders with Lebanon, especially before Interior and Defense ministers Ziad Baroud and Elias al-Murr's prospective visits to Damascus. Speaking to Future News Television, he claimed that those who congratulated Syria for revealing the "terrorist cell" aimed to get closer to the regime for electoral purposes.
For his part, MP Boutros Harb told Voice of Lebanon radio station that accusing the Future Movement of financing Fatah al-Islam was for political purposes because, according to him, the Future movement was one of the patriotic and sovereign parties. "Let us not forget the aid offered by Future Movement to the Lebanese army during its battle with the extremist group Fatah al-Islam in Nahr al-Bared," he said.
In parallel, member of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Hussein Hajj Hasan told Al-Nour radio station that terrorist cells were behind explosions in many Arab countries, noting that blasts were exploited for political purposes to accuse some parties of being involved in such activities. He added that the people who appeared on the Syrian television on Thursday night were crossing the Lebanese-Syrian borders and smuggling weapons and explosive devices and called for operations between both countries' cabinets to prevent those acts.
For his part, member of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Agope Pakradounian didn't rule out the possibility that the Syrian confessions were accurate and correct. He told ANB satellite television that the accusations need proofs, "but it's possible that a Future movement responsible might have secured the suitable conditions for Fatah Al-Islam men to do their job."
Meanwhile, Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar quoted a Lebanese security official as saying that Syria, by screening the testimonies, might aim at urging Lebanon to set up a rule of security cooperation with Damascus in combating terror. The security official, who was not further identified, said Lebanese authorities might launch further investigations with a number of suspects arrested in Lebanon, including Samir Ayyoubi, in light of what was screened by the Syrian television.
A few hours after Syrian authorities were able to uncover the network that carried out the terrorist bombing on Damascus's airport road and aired footage of the confessions, which revealed the relationship between the group and some members of the Lebanese Future Movement, the so-called March 14 bloc "campaign" against Syria regained birth, accusing Damascus of "fabricating lies" against the Lebanese "sovereign" bloc.
On Thursday, Syrian State Television showed 12 members of Fatah al-Islam, an al Qaeda-inspired group that first emerged in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, confessing that they had helped plan the September 27 attack on an intelligence complex in the Syrian capital. Wafa al-Abssi, daughter of Fatah al-Islam's leader Shaker al-Absi who is at large, said Fatah al-Islam received money from Salafist groups, including Saudis, and accused Lebanon's Future Movement and some of its banks of involvement in financing the group.
According to Lebanese daily An-Nahar, Syria's accusations pushed the March 14 main figures to carry out a series of consultations and phone calls during the night in order to discuss a possible "response." The bloc is also set to hold a meeting on Friday to announce a unified position over the issue. The daily noted that March 14 leaders might "set specific conditions regarding security coordination between Lebanon and Syria."
A Future movement source, meanwhile, denied what it called the "allegations and lies," broadcast by the Syrian television, saying it "confirms the established relation between Syrian intelligence and Fatah al-Islam."
Meanwhile, the General Coordinator of the March 14 coalition Fares Soueid said that Syrian authorities were trying to mislead the public opinion and give impression that they were concerned about the borders with Lebanon, especially before Interior and Defense ministers Ziad Baroud and Elias al-Murr's prospective visits to Damascus. Speaking to Future News Television, he claimed that those who congratulated Syria for revealing the "terrorist cell" aimed to get closer to the regime for electoral purposes.
For his part, MP Boutros Harb told Voice of Lebanon radio station that accusing the Future Movement of financing Fatah al-Islam was for political purposes because, according to him, the Future movement was one of the patriotic and sovereign parties. "Let us not forget the aid offered by Future Movement to the Lebanese army during its battle with the extremist group Fatah al-Islam in Nahr al-Bared," he said.
In parallel, member of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Hussein Hajj Hasan told Al-Nour radio station that terrorist cells were behind explosions in many Arab countries, noting that blasts were exploited for political purposes to accuse some parties of being involved in such activities. He added that the people who appeared on the Syrian television on Thursday night were crossing the Lebanese-Syrian borders and smuggling weapons and explosive devices and called for operations between both countries' cabinets to prevent those acts.
For his part, member of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Agope Pakradounian didn't rule out the possibility that the Syrian confessions were accurate and correct. He told ANB satellite television that the accusations need proofs, "but it's possible that a Future movement responsible might have secured the suitable conditions for Fatah Al-Islam men to do their job."
Meanwhile, Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar quoted a Lebanese security official as saying that Syria, by screening the testimonies, might aim at urging Lebanon to set up a rule of security cooperation with Damascus in combating terror. The security official, who was not further identified, said Lebanese authorities might launch further investigations with a number of suspects arrested in Lebanon, including Samir Ayyoubi, in light of what was screened by the Syrian television.
