Hezbollah slams Lebanon FM for siding with Arab states in fighting ISIS

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hezbollah paradeLebanon’s Hezbollah has expressed strong reservations about Beirut’s signing of the Jeddah Communique pledging regional military cooperation against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), with sources close to the group warning that the agreement both goes too far and does not do enough to confront the Islamist terrorist group.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah-led March 8 Alliance called on Beirut to provide “clarification” regarding the future Lebanese role in the international coalition being assembled to confront ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

Ten Arab states attended a regional meeting on terrorism and ISIS in Jeddah on Wednesday, signing a joint communique agreeing to undertake a range of actions to combat terrorism, including stopping the flow of foreign fighters through neighboring countries, countering the financing of ISIS and other terrorist groups and repudiating jihadist ideology.

The regional states also agreed to “join in the many aspects of the coordinated military campaign against ISIS, as appropriate, according to the communique.

Lebanese Information Minister Ramzi Joreige told Asharq Al-Awsat that the “Lebanese army is ready and able” to fight ISIS.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, a source close to Hezbollah said: “Lebanon’s official position in terms of its commitment to the fight against terror has been clear since 2000.”

The source said that any additional responsibilities must be taken “within the framework of a clear plan that determines Lebanon’s role,” criticizing the Jeddah Communique’s vague language.

He added that Hezbollah considers Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil’s signing of the communique as non-binding until an official clarification is issued by the Beirut government.

By merely attending the Jeddah meeting Bassil had “buried” Lebanon’s “unrealistic” policy of self-distancing, the Hezbollah source maintained.

Hezbollah finds itself in an increasingly difficult situation over the anti-ISIS regional coalition. The Lebanese Shi’ite militia is fighting alongside Bashar Al-Assad forces in Syria; however the US and Arab regional states are backing the Free Syrian Army (FSA) against ISIS, not the Assad regime. Assad and Hezbollah fear that any military assistance provided to Syrian rebels to fight ISIS could later be turned on the Assad regime.

US President Barack Obama earlier this week said the US would seek to carry out airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria. Washington has said it will not ask Assad’s permission to conduct military operations in Syria, refusing to cooperate with the Assad regime and Iran over ISIS.

Pro-March 8 Alliance media outlets hit out at Bassil’s participation in the Jeddah meeting, claiming that the communique did not go far enough to tackle ISIS.

Lebanon’s political actors are divided about the domestic repercussions of a US-led military campaign to combat ISIS, particularly given ISIS’s own presence in Lebanon.

Lebanese local media this week reported that ISIS could have as many as 40 “secret cells” in Lebanon, according to a security report. The ISIS cells are made up of Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, Jordanian and Iraqi nationals and are reported to be highly trained in weapons and explosives, according to the media reports.

In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hezbollah MP Walid Sukkarieh said Lebanon’s anti-ISIS efforts should be directed towards the “protection of the domestic scene against ISIS expansion” into Lebanon.

Sukkarieh warned against the presence of militants affiliated with ISIS along the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, urging signatories to the Jeddah communique to provide Beirut with political and military support to take action against the Islamist group.

Bassil is the son-in-law of Free patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, a close ally of the Hezbollah militant group.

Iran excluded

It is worth mentioning that Iran, Hezbollah’s main backer has been excluded from participation in the coalition of nations that will be fighting ISIS.

US Secretary of State John F. Kerry says Iran should not attend a conference about the militant threat that will be held Monday in Paris and Iran did confirm that it will not be attending .

“It would not be appropriate given the many other issues . . . with respect to their engagement in Syria and elsewhere,” Kerry said Friday. He cited Iran’s military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and alleged Iranian support for terrorist groups elsewhere.

Asharq Al-Awsat/YL

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10 responses to “Hezbollah slams Lebanon FM for siding with Arab states in fighting ISIS”

  1. The real lebanese Avatar
    The real lebanese

    We all saw this coming

  2. Patience2 Avatar

    This re-affirms the kind of people comprising Hizbushaitan.

  3. nagy_michael2 Avatar
    nagy_michael2

    So jackass Mansour was siding with Syria against the wishes of the Lebanese state it was okay by them. I thought ISIS was the enemy of Hezbollah. I am so buffeled by hezbollah whom they stood silent and even indirectly supported Fatah al islam againt the army during the Nahr al bared fighting. Now they want to protect the reputation that they and syria and iran are allowed to fight ISIS. well if Syria cannot handle them then there must be other means to do it. so shut the hello up hezbollah and defend your borders not Syria.. Nassrallah after all sacrificed many young man supposedly to protect Lebanon and promised us protection from ISIS. well i don’t see that happening. of course M8 is going to come out here and accuse M14 of supporting ISIS which is they know is all B.S.other than I see couple ministers in Tripoli maybe pissed at the army because LAF was going after Sunnis instead of Shiites and alwaites there is no one out there to support their claims.. On that Note watch for decrease in salary for the FM and some whipping by Nassrallah.

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar

      LAF was going after the gangs who held Tripoli in terror for 2 years (at least). If they happened to be more Sunni than Alawite or Shia, so be it. Packs of jackasses.
      But none of them liked being told to stop.
      When they started potting at the LAF because their gun-trade and ‘protection’ rackets were losing money, the Need could be seen. Didn’t stop the LAF, once they were given the ‘go-ahead’ by the silly jerks in what is supposed to be a ‘Lebanese’ government.

    2. Reasonableman Avatar
      Reasonableman

      sources close to the group warning that the agreement both goes too far and does not do enough to confront the Islamist terrorist group.

      They want to drag lebanon hostage into a war at the expense of lebanese but now that they are not invited “it goes too far” and not enough done.
      Lol

  4. There is nothing to hide now and they find themselves in a great dilemma !

  5. How dare you Bassil sign without getting approval from the masters? Tsk Tsk Tsk…
    The crusaders are coming… 😛

  6. looks like somebody fears a strong cooperation of arab states to fight terror.
    i wonder why, i thought only terrorists should be concerned…oops…

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