Day 1,101: Jordan’s king tells Lebanese to get out of Syria
People inspect buildings reportedly hit by an explosives-filled barrel dropped by a government forces in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on March 21, 2014.
Today is Day 1,101 of the Syria conflict.
Saturday, pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat published a piece in which Jordan's King Abdullah II quite reasonably suggests that Lebanese fighters in Syria go home and stay there. Here's the translation from Lebanon's The Daily Star:
“The security and political situation in Lebanon is very delicate … Lebanon cannot bear the intervention by any side in the Syrian conflict,” he said. “Out of concern for the security, stability, sovereignty and security of Lebanon, we emphasize the need for the non-intervention of any Lebanese side in the conflict in Syria,” he said, describing any interference in the Syrian war as “unconstructive.”
For the backstory here, see our earlier post recapping the troubling situation this week in the Lebanese town of Arsal. Lebanon's Hezbollah is currently openly fighting in Syria on the side of Assad's forces.
In other news:
– Only eight out of the 79 UN trucks full of medicine, food, and bedding crossing from Turkey into Syria actually made it, yesterday. The problem? The Syrian government's "administrative hurdles," according to one seemingly frustrated UN official.
– The New York Times interviewed a bunch of analysts who say Russia's "defiance" over Crimea will "embolden" Assad.
– The BBC has a good tour through the damage to the Crusader castle Krak des Chevaliers, captured earlier this week by the Syrian government. Further photos available here.
The conflict continues.