Assad: The majority in Lebanon is hostile to Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gave an interview to daily paper L’Orient le Jour in which he discussed Syrian involvement in Lebanon and the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations between Damascus and Beirut. “What is happening in North Lebanon will not influence Syria,â€_ Assad told the paper in a reference to the violent clashes in Tripoli. “There are extremists receiving funding from Lebanese politicians to make it look like the struggle in Lebanon is sectarian,â€_ he said, adding, “Those extremists are causing damage to Lebanon, not to Syria.â€_ Assad denied being involved in weapons smuggling operations to the Lebanese opposition, and he said nobody can prove any Syrian involvement. He also said he suggested opening a Syrian embassy in Lebanon in 2005, but “after this suggestion, the relations between... [read full story]