Nasri Khoury Denies Syria Dismayed at Lebanese Cabinet Performance

Head of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council Nasri Khoury said Saturday that Damascus hasn’t expressed dismay at the performance of the government of Premier Najib Miqati.

Following talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, Khoury said: “I didn’t feel that Syria is frustrated from the performance of the Lebanese government.”

His remark came in response to a question about Mansour’s claim to the cabinet earlier this week that a high-ranking Syrian official had expressed dismay at the government’s performance in terms of the implementation of agreements signed between the two countries.

“There is a joint will to improve the measures that would limit the use of Lebanese territories to smuggle arms and men to Syria,” Khoury said after a controversy that erupted over the Lebanese navy’s interception of a ship loaded with three containers of arms off Lebanon’s northern coast.

Investigation is underway as to where the vessel, Lutfallah II, was heading. But media reports said the arms were intended to help Syrian rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar Assad.

“The Lebanese army is exerting all efforts to prevent the use of Lebanese territories for infiltration to Syria or for harming the Syrian security,” Khoury stressed.

He said Lebanese authorities have promised to close loopholes if there are any.

The head of the council met with President Michel Suleiman and Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji on Friday.