Syria Warns Against UN Border Force

Syria expressed its opposition to the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces to the border between Syria and Lebanon.

Bashar al-Assad, president of Syria, said in an interview with Dubai TV on August 23, “The deployment of peacekeepers is a hostile act against Syria.”

He said, “No country accepts forces of other countries in order to protect the border. The deployment is tantamount to an infringement on the sovereignty of Lebanon.”

Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Mualem who is visiting Finland said, “If the UN peacekeeping forces are deployed, the border of Syria will be sealed. In Lebanon which shares the border with Israel and Syria, if the border of Syria is sealed, the overland entry is blocked. The border of Israel has already been blocked since the start of hostilities in July.”

Israel’s foreign minister Tzipi Livni said, “The current situation of Lebanon can get out of hand.” He called on the international community for immediate deployment of UN peacekeeping forces.

lightee@donga.com