Blockade Adds To Animosity Between Syria And Israel
Joseph S. Mayton - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Beirut, Lebanon (AHN) - In an attempt to downplay the ongoing controversy between Syria and Israel, the Lebanese government undertook Thursday to stop the smuggling of weapons along Lebanon's border with Syria. This comes a day after Syria threatened to close the border if United Nations troops were deployed along the border. Israel claims it will not lift the sea and air blockade of Lebanon unless UN troops are on the border stopping any weapons from entering Lebanon. The Lebanese government wants to reopen the nation following the 34-day war between Hezbollah and Israel, but the Jewish state has been reluctant to end their blockade of the country. Lebanon's Culture Minister Tareq Mitri, the head of the Lebanese delegation to the ceasefire talks at the UN in early August, said "the Lebanese government is working hard to secure the border and lift the blockade ... the Lebanese stance is clear. The sovereignty of any state includes securing its border crossings, preventing any smuggling attempts and this is what the Lebanese state is planning to do," he told Voice of Lebanon radio.
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