Lebanese FM defends Hezbollah involvement in Syria

The Lebanese minister of Foreign Affairs Adnan Mansour defended Hezbollah’s interference in Syria during a speech at the Arab league in Cairo.

Adnan noted that the Shiite militant group’s presence in Qusayr is a preventive act, which looks to protect Shiite relatives and families from violence.

Adnan said in the past these families have allegedly been exposed to kidnapping, extortion and murder.

“Insurgency in the country side and its surroundings, affected 20 villages, [violence] varied between the threat of murder, torture, displacement, abduction, destruction of homes, mosques and churches and the confiscation of land and crops,” Mansour said.

He also pointed out “the persistence of armed groups and their intimidation of Lebanese people made inhabitants of Syrian villages form armed committees to protect themselves and reached out to relatives in Lebanon to help protect their properties and livelihoods against armed groups that seized control of Qusayr.”

According to Mansour, Lebanon always had a clear position of disassociation from the Syrian conflict but matters have changed since the conflict has spilled over the borders.

“These extremist groups in Syria have sought to hit the nerve of the historical heritage between Syrian citizens and Lebanese people in mixed areas in the city of Qusayr and countryside villages adjacent to Lebanon,” he added.

“We have repeatedly said that the fire of the Syrian war will extend its flames to all of us hence, today my country is suffering, especially at a time where the flow of hundreds of thousands of Syrian displaced brothers have increased to over a million,” Mansour said.

“Let us all go to Geneva and let the conference be our exit and Syria's exit,” Mansour concluded.