Assad Must Go... or else

BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman said Saturday that he and senior Syrian officials discussed in Iran the recently seized explosives by Lebanese authorities linked to the case of former Minister Michel Samaha, who, along with two other Syrian figures have been charged with plotting terror attacks in Lebanon.

He also expressed hope that there was no relation between official Syrian sides and the seized explosives.

“There was no secret meeting in Iran ... but there were no reporters in the hall at the time. The initiative was by both Syrian Prime Minister [Wael Nader al-Halqi] and Foreign Affairs Minister Walid Muallem ... we discussed this matter and what I told them was identical to what I said on the day that the explosives were seized,” Sleiman said, according to a statement from his office.

In late August Sleiman took part in the 16th Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran.

Former Information Minister Michel Samaha was arrested last month and then later charged by the Military Tribunal with plotting terror attacks in Lebanon. Samaha, Syrian National Security Bureau head Ali Mamlouk and a Syrian army officer identified as Brig. Gen. Adnan were also accused of planning to incite sectarian clashes through terrorist attacks with explosives that Samaha transported to Lebanon and stored after taking possession of them from Mamlouk and Adnan.



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(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)