Govt. Seeking to Withdraw Ghosn’s Statements on al-Qaida from Media Speculation
Lebanese government officials should exert more efforts to distance Lebanon from the twin Damascus bombings that took place in the Syrian capital on Friday, otherwise the cabinet would appear to be adopting a lax approach in combating terrorism, reported the Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper on Monday.
Widely informed sources told the newspaper that President Michel Suleiman’s statements on Lebanon’s rejection of terrorism was the first attempt to ease the government “embarrassment” in this issue.
They interpreted the remarks as an attempt to withdraw Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn’s statements that al-Qaida members had infiltrated the Bekaa town of Arsal from media speculation.
Shortly after the Damascus bombings, Syria accused al-Qaida of being behind the attack.
The sources stressed the need for the government to adamantly deny any links to the attack in order to prevent the country from being dragged into the Syrian crisis.
They added that Ghosn should be held accountable for his statements and debriefed at cabinet in order for him to present the evidence of his claims that al-Qaida had indeed infiltrated Arsal.
The Syrian authorities should also be made to present any evidence they have on the alleged infiltration of extremists from Lebanon into its territories, they continued.
At least 40 people were killed and 166 wounded in two deadly bombings against Syrian security forces in Damascus on Friday.
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