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Lebanese PM says Hizbollah did not get weapons from Syria

Saad Hariri denies allegations made by Israeli President Peres, who said that Damascus supplied the Shia armed group with Scud missiles. He says such claims are comparable to those about “weapons of mass destruction”, which were used to justify the US invasion of Iraq. Some press reports suggest that the leaders of Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia might hold a surprise summit.
Beirut (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has denied Israeli allegations that Hezbollah, Lebanon’s pro-Iranian Shia movement, has obtained scud missiles from Syria. He compared Israel’s claims to those made by the US that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction ahead of its 2003 invasion.

Saad Hariri appears to be trying to ease tensions between Israel and Iran’s regional friends. He was responding to Israeli President Shimon Peres’ claim that Syria had supplied the Lebanese terror group with Scuds, which would be by far the biggest weapons in Hezbollah’s arsenal.

Hariri compared Israel’s charges to US allegations about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction that were never found but were the main rationale behind the US-led war in Iraq in 2003.

“Threats that Lebanon now has huge missiles are similar to what they used to say about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq,” the Lebanese prime minister said.

For its part, Damascus flatly denied Israel’s claims whilst Hezbollah has not yet issued a statement on the matter.

The US State Department did nevertheless summon Zouheir Jabbour, Syria's deputy chief of mission in Washington, on Monday, and accused Damascus of "provocative behaviour" in the supply of arms to Hizbollah. “We call for an immediate cessation of any arms transfers to Hezbollah and other terrorist organisations in the region,” a State Department spokesman said.

Meanwhile some reports are saying that a surprise summit might be called between Syria, Egypt and Saud Arabia to discuss regional security, especially in relation to the growing tensions between Israel and Iran and their repercussions on Damascus.

Western diplomatic sources said that Saudi King Abdullah should arrive tomorrow in Sharm el-Sheikh to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak who is recuperating after surgery. Syrian President Bashar Assad is also expected.

Damascus is concerned about possible military confrontation with Israel and is vying for Egyptian and Saudi support. However, Syrian sources quoted in al-Quds al-Arabi, a London-based Arabic language newspaper, reported that reconciliation with Cairo or Riyadh, soured by the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, would not come at the expense of Damascus' ties with Iran.