Ban concerned by impact of Syria crisis on Lebanon

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has expressed grave concern about the impact of the Syria’s crisis on neighboring Lebanon and highlighted an increase in tensions along their common border, according to a report released last night. In the report to the Security Council, Ban also highlighted allegations of arms trafficking across the Syrian-Lebanese border and stressed that Lebanon must not be “drawn into regional turmoil.” “Largely as a result of the deteriorating situation in Syria, Lebanon has witnessed crossborder clashes and shelling; arms smuggling; the influx of thousands of refugees; and politically motivated assassination attempts, which destabilized the country,” said Ban. He added: “I am deeply concerned by the impact of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon.” The report notes a significant increase of shelling incidents and incursions by Syrian government forces, some of which targeted Lebanese border villages. There were 31 incidents in July alone, according to the document, compared to 7 in the first half of the year. Ban referenced continued reports of arms trafficking in both directions along the common border, saying he viewed these “with the utmost seriousness” but noted the United Nations did not have the means to independently verify them. “The allegations of arms trafficking across the Syrian-Lebanese border and the repeated incidents along the border that caused death and injury to civilians emphasize the urgent need to improve the management and control of Lebanon’s land borders,” Ban said. The report will be submitted to the 15-member council on October 31.