US summons Syrian diplomat

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=123828§ionid=351020203


The US has summoned a Washington-based Syrian diplomat to protest what Israel has claimed to be efforts to supply the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah with missiles.

Based on the allegations that Syria is equipping Hezbollah with Scud missiles, the most senior Syrian diplomat in Washington, Deputy Chief of Mission Zouheir Jabbour was obligated to report to the US Department of State on Tuesday, AFP reported.

The move was to serve as a warning on what the department's deputy spokesman Gordon Duguid called, “Syria's provocative behavior concerning the potential transfer of arms to Hezbollah."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Wednesday that "we are obviously increasingly concerned about the sophisticated weaponry that is allegedly being transferred."

Also on Wednesday, State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said, "If [Scuds have been transferred into Lebanon], and we continue to analyze this issue ... clearly it potentially puts Lebanon at significant risk."

Hezbollah-affiliated lawmaker Ali Fayyad on Saturday said Washington is inciting Israel to launch another war on Lebanon by saying it is worried by the alleged transfer.

The United States is "placing itself in a position of complicity in the event of aggression [on Lebanon] and it will have to take responsibility," Fayyad was quoted by AFP as saying.

Earlier in the month, Tel Aviv communicated a threatening message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In the 'secret' message, Israel alleged that Hezbollah may launch an attack on Israel using the projectiles, threatening to engage Syria in a war if such missile offensive by the Lebanese movement materialized.

Syria summons foreign envoys over Israeli war rhetoric

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=117879§ionid=351020206


Damascus summoned foreign envoys to Syria on Thursday to discuss Israel's recent military threats against the Arab country.

The meeting was hosted by the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and headed by Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmad Arnous, a Press TV correspondent reported.

"Israel is trying to drag Syria and the rest of the Middle East into other wars. The recent remarks by extremist Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman are part of an attempt by Tel Aviv to extract itself from big crises it is currently facing…Damascus is, however, fully prepared for any surprise from Israel," Arnous said during the meeting.

Earlier on Thursday, Israel's firebrand Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had warned that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would lose the war and his power, should there be another military conflict between the two sides.

"When there is another war, you will not just lose it, but you and your family will lose power," he had said at a conference on Thursday.

The latest spat between the two neighbors emerged after Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned on Monday that if there is no peace agreement with Syria, "we might find ourselves in a forceful conflict that could lead to an all-out war."

Syria responded furiously, with Assad saying, "it seemed Israel is working towards a war", and Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem responding, "do not test the power of Syria since you know the war will move into your cities."