Annan, Suleiman Discuss Syria Crisis, Abductees, Arms Smuggling

U.N.-Arab League Special Envoy for Syria Kofi Annan on Thursday held talks with President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda palace on his peace plan for strife-torn Syria and the issue of the 11 Lebanese pilgrims abducted on May 22 in the Syrian province of Aleppo.

During the talks with Suleiman, Annan “evaluated his plan for Syria and the stages it has gone through,” NBN television reported.

“The issue of the abductees was also discussed, with Annan saying the case is engulfed in mystery as no one has claimed responsibility so far,” it added.

It said Annan did not say whether his plan has succeeded or not and that “he wanted to hear the president's viewpoint on the crisis.”

NBN noted that the two men did not discuss the controversial letter recently sent by Syria’s U.N. envoy Bashar al-Jaafari to the United Nations about alleged terrorist anti-Syria activity in Lebanon.

For its part, al-Manar television said Annan explained his plan in detail and spoke of the need to end violence in Syria.

“He did not discuss the issue of (trafficking) arms (from Lebanon to Syria) in detail, but he rejected foreign intervention in Syria,” al-Manar said.

“Annan clarified that the observers in Syria were not able to communicate with the abductors of the Lebanese pilgrims,” it added.

Meanwhile, MTV said Annan called for Lebanon to control its border with Syria while taking into consideration Jaafari's letter.

Annan later held talks in Ain al-Tineh with Speaker Nabih Berri. Al-Manar said the meeting lasted 40 minutes, without elaborating.

During his visit, Annan is expected to tackle the issue of the Lebanese-Syrian border and voice fear that the Syrian crisis is spilling over into Lebanon amid the latest security incidents in the country, An Nahar daily reported on Thursday.

He will warn Lebanese officials against destabilizing the country, diplomatic sources told An Nahar.

According to the daily, Annan will also hold talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati.

Miqati headed to Turkey on Wednesday for talks with senior officials and to follow up the new developments regarding the case of the 11 Lebanese pilgrims, who were kidnapped in the Syrian province of Aleppo last week.

An Nahar reported that Suleiman would inform Annan that there are no Lebanese groups smuggling weapons to the Syrian opposition and reveal the security, military and judicial measures taken by the Lebanese authorities to halt arms smuggling operations.

Annan arrived in Jordan on Wednesday from neighboring Syria.

The peace envoy urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to take immediate steps to end 15 months of bloodshed and warned the country has reached a "tipping point."

Lebanese are deeply divided between partisans and opponents of Assad and fear is surging that the violence in Syria could spill over into Lebanon and fracture its fragile peace.

An estimated 24,000 Syrians have sought refuge in Lebanon, mostly in the northern region of Wadi Khaled, after Assad began using force to crush a popular uprising that erupted in March 2011.