US-backed Lebanese party accuses Syria of meddling

A major US-backed political party in Lebanese capital, Beirut, has criticized the Syrian government, claiming that it is making efforts to “dominate” Lebanon, Press TV reports. The pro-West Lebanese March 14 alliance made the accusation on Wednesday without elaborating while Syria is heavily engaged in defusing a persisting Western-backed unrest within its own borders. The unsubstantiated claim was made as the political alliance celebrated the seventh anniversary of its founding in Beirut, where one of its members of parliament, Boutros Harb, read a statement accusing Damascus of making efforts to “dominate Lebanon,” while expressing pleasure that Syria “is today facing a popular protest movement.” “We need peace to protect our country from the repercussions of the fall of the regime in Syria.” Khalil Fleihan, a journalist with the Lebanese al-Nahar daily, told Press TV the “political language” used by the March 14 coalition has “not changed and now it is focused on the Syrian crisis, which has not affected Lebanon, but there could be a crisis since the March 14 is accused of smuggling arms into Syria.” In addition to criticism of the Syrian government, the March 14 alliance has also been strongly opposing the current government of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati.