U.S. Treasury Deputy Secretary Neal Wolin stressed that his country isn't targeting the Lebanese banking sector rather than it's calling on it to be aware of the risks of dealing with Iran and Syria.

An Nahar daily said Wednesday he pointed out that Lebanon should be keen not to allow Iran and Syria to exploit its banks to evade the sanctions imposed on it.

U.S. Treasury Deputy Secretary Neal Wolin warned on Tuesday of attempts to exploit the Lebanese financial sector to evade sanctions on Iran and Syria, said the U.S. Embassy in a statement.

He said “further underscored the need for Lebanon to prevent abuse of the Lebanese financial sector by illicit actors and for Lebanese banks and regulatory authorities to remain vigilant against the evasion of sanctions by Iran and Syria.”

The Mustaqbal bloc condemned on Tuesday the release of the three officers linked to the death of Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahed in al-Kweikhat in May, vowing that it, along with the March 14 forces, will not remain silent over the issue.

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “We will announce decisive measures in this issue after Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Lebanon in order to return the case back on the right course.”

Former General Security chief Jamil al-Sayyed slammed on Tuesday the investigations with former minister Michel Samaha, saying that he should not be interrogated by his “enemies”.

He said during a press conference: “Samaha asserted that I was not involved in any detail linked to the case.”

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Monday that the security forces and army in Lebanon are not neglecting laying down the law against security violators.

He told the National News Agency: “Legal measures are being taken against the violators.”

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Monday that the government will not disassociate itself from the turmoil in Syria when there are attempts by the regime to ignite the situation in Lebanon.

“We will take the necessary measures... We should reorganize the relations between Syria and Lebanon calmly and in a comprehensive way,” Miqati told reporters during a press conference at the Grand Serail.

The Lebanese army command said Sunday that the military arrested a six-member gang that kidnaps Syrian opposition members in northern Lebanon.

An army unit arrested three of the members at the area of al-Bahsas in the city of Tripoli while they were abducting a Syrian opposition activist, an army communique said.

Environment Minister Nazem al-Khoury, who is close to President Michel Suleiman, said Sunday that the head of state has remained a centrist and it was not in the interest of any party in Lebanon to cut ties with the Syrian regime.

“We haven't yet reached the stage of cutting relations and we hope we don't,” al-Khoury told An Nahar daily in an interview. “This is not in the interest of any party.”

President Michel Suleiman's praise for the Internal Security Forces in their seizure of the explosives that ex-Minister Michel Samaha had transported to Lebanon from Syria was very encouraging, a security source said Sunday.

“The president's remarks were very comforting,” the source told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat.

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Saturday that he will not retract his stance concerning ex-Minister Michel Samaha’s case, pointing out that he informed the Syrian authorities his position in Tehran.

“Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem requested our meeting in Tehran, and I thank him for his initiative,” Suleiman said during the opening ceremony of Amchit fishing port.