US Summons Senior Syria Diplomat Over Arms Transfer To Hezbollah

The U.S. State Department summoned the senior Syrian diplomat in Washington on Monday to accuse his government of “provocative behavior” in supplying arms to the Iranian-aligned militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

A department statement announcing the complaint was imprecise about the alleged arms deals by the Syrians. It alluded to the transfer to Hezbollah of Scud ballistic missiles but did not say explicitly that Syria was behind such a deal.

Israel’s President Shimon Peres last week directly accused Damascus of providing the missiles, which can carry a warhead of up to one ton, making them far larger than the biggest rockets previously in Hezbollah’s arsenal. They are also more accurate. (more…)

Confusion over Syrian Scud shipments to Hezbollah

U.S. Ambassador to Beirut has informed the Lebanese Speaker and Prime Minister about Israel’s intention to bomb a truck allegedly transporting arms to Hezbollah

Hezbollah MP: U.S. encouraging Israel to attack Lebanon

Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad told AFP on Saturday that US concern over allegations that Syria has been supplying Scud missiles to Hezbollah serves to encourage Israel to attack Lebanon.

“With this position, (the Americans) are encouraging Israel to carry out an aggression against Lebanon that they are trying to endorse at the international level,” Fayad said. (more…)

France: Transfer of Scuds to Hezbollah ‘Alarming if Confirmed’

The French foreign ministry announced on Thursday that France would consider as “alarming” the alleged transfer of long-range Scud missiles from Syria to Hezbollah if the recent reports on the subject turned out to be true.

Christine Fage, the FM deputy spokesperson called for “a total respect of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 in all its stipulations.”

“I remind you that this Resolution imposes an embargo on the export of arms to Lebanon, except those authorized by the Government of Lebanon or the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),” Fage added. (more…)