Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar rejected US President Donald Trump's proposal that Israel leave Syria with the task of "dealing with Hezbollah" in Lebanon, arguing that Damascus would "do the job better."
Speaking on CNN's "Connect the World" program on Wednesday, June 17, the Lebanese justice minister said that the party's disarmament is "the responsibility of the Lebanese state and not of foreign forces."
"This is not about sending foreign troops to do the job, Lebanon has suffered for years from outside interference. If Hezbollah is a proxy for Iran today, it is because of Iran's interference in Lebanon's internal affairs."
Trump proposes, Syria and Lebanon reject
Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France on Tuesday, June 16, Trump said: "I'm not happy with the way Israel dealt with Lebanon and with Hezbollah, they should have been able to get the job done faster."
"I suggested to Israel that Syria take over Hezbollah, because frankly I think they would do a better job," he said, adding that if Israel could not accomplish the mission against Hezbollah without killing everyone, "Syria would do the job."
"You don't have to destroy an entire apartment building in search of a single Hizbullah person, there are many who live in those buildings, and not all of them are Hizbullah members," he said.
In an interview with NBC News on Sunday, Trump hinted at the possibility that Syria could play a role in facilitating more "precision" strikes against Hezbollah, saying, "I would like to see Lebanon have a better life, and I would like to see a more precise (surgical attack) on Hezbollah." I think it has to be more precise, and we can help them with that, or we can recommend Syria to help."
President al-Sharia denies rumors of interference in Lebanon
On Saturday, June 13, President Al-Sharia denied what he described as "rumors" about Syria's interference in Lebanese affairs, stressing that Damascus and Beirut agreed to postpone the detailed dialogue on the demarcation of the borders, and to focus on more urgent files, most notably economic linkages and development support.
President Al-Shara's remarks came during a meeting with a delegation of notables and notables from the Damascus countryside in the capital, Damascus, in a speech broadcast by the state news agency "SANA", and said that Lebanon is going through a very sensitive phase due to the repertoire of the Israeli war, and that this reality is reflected on Syria as well as on the Lebanese interior.
"The priority today is for Lebanon to take advantage of the new Syrian situation in a way that helps to promote stability, develop economic connectivity, support development, and contribute to some of the reforms it needs, in which Syria can provide important services and facilities," he stressed.
"At the same time, some people are still spreading rumors of Syrian intervention in Lebanon, which is not true," he concluded, adding, "What we always propose is to stop the war, strengthen state institutions, strengthen economic linkages, and calm the situation in Lebanon as much as possible."
Zeidan: Syria has rejected a US proposal to intervene in Lebanon
Syrian presidential adviser Ahmed Zeidan also stressed that Syria is "not interested in any military or security intervention in Lebanese affairs" and that it has rejected a US proposal for Damascus to intervene there.
In an interview with Al-Arabiya TV, Zeidan said in response to US President Donald Trump's proposal to use Syria to carry out what he described as "precision surgical strikes" against Hezbollah inside Lebanon, that Damascus rejected this proposal "absolutely and immediately."
Zeidan added that Syria supports the extension of the Lebanese state's control over its entire territory, and that "the support of the Lebanese government is not through military interventions, but through the empowerment of state institutions and the strengthening of its legitimate authority."
"Damascus views Lebanon's stability as an important regional interest, but it adheres to the principle of respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of states," Zeidan said, noting that entering the Lebanese arena militarily is akin to "entering a political and sectarian minefield," which Damascus seeks to avoid completely within the framework of its new vision for regional relations.
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