The Al-Qaeda militant Ghosn referred to is a bakery employee

The Al-Qaeda militant that Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn referred to in his statements when he talked about the presence of Al Qaeda in the town of Arsal appeared on TV Sunday evening to tell his story.

In an interview with Future TV on Sunday Hamza Alkerkoz (Al -Qarqouz) who works as a laborer at a bakery in Arsal expressed regret that his name was raised by the Lebanese defense minister as the Al Qaeda militant from Arsal . Addressed the minister by saying: I am the age of your children ..What will your reaction be like if people told the same type of stories about your son as you told about me ?

Ghosn who is reportedly closely associated with the Iranian and Syrian backed Hezbollah and MP Michel Aoun informed the Lebanese cabinet on December 22 that al-Qaeda members had infiltrated the Bekaa town of Arsal.

President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has blamed December 23 rd twin suicide bombing that killed 44 people on “terrorist organizations,” including Al-Qaeda, and quoted Lebanese officials as warning Syria that Al-Qaeda members infiltrated into Syria from the town of Arsal.

Ghosn said last Tuesday in an interview on OTV in defense of his statements about al Qaeda that the army has “clear information” about the presence of al-Qaeda members in the Bekaa border town of Arsal, noting that “the army raided Arsal in search of Hamza al -Qarqouz,” who is believed to be an al-Qaeda militant who had fled from Syria to Lebanon.

Ghosn added: “It is our duty as politicians and officials to announce that there is an infiltration by some extremists, including al-Qaeda members, through the borders, and it is our duty not to conceal things.”

Ghosn’s statements have generated domestic criticism, mostly from March 14 alliance which supports the Syrian uprising.

However, reports that Al-Qaeda members are present in Lebanon have not been confirmed.