Lebanon’s prime minister made his first official visit to Syria on Saturday to meet the new government, calling for ways the two countries could work together to help Syrian refugees in Lebanon return to their homeland.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with the leader of the new Syrian government, Ahmad al-Shara, in the Syrian capital Damascus on Saturday afternoon, according to the Lebanese Prime Minister’s Office. Mr al-Shara heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group that led the lightning offensive last month that toppled decades of rule by former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
At a press conference in Damascus, Prime Minister Mikati said the two countries must quickly resolve the problem of the more than 1 million refugees that Lebanon has accepted as a result of the Syrian civil war that began in 2011. Others still remain in Lebanon.
“For the benefit of both countries, it has become urgent to deal with this issue as quickly as possible and return the refugees to Syria, where they are fortunately recovering,” Prime Minister Mikati said. He added that he trusts President Al-Shara. supported the effort.
Al-Shara said the two leaders discussed “unresolved issues,” including border security, but made no mention of the return of refugees. He said a committee would be formed to look at ways to address various problems, but urged Syrians to lower their expectations of a quick overhaul in the poor country.
“There are many problems in Syria,” Mr. Al-Shara said. “We cannot solve this problem all at once. We have to break it down and find a solution for each.”
Mr Mikati’s visit to Damascus comes after Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun was elected this week after two years of vacancy. Prime Minister Aoun is expected to soon begin consultations on naming a new prime minister next week.
In Syria, al-Shara faces the task of bringing order to a country ravaged by a 14-year civil war that has split into several war zones and sparked the spread of armed groups. He has sought to quickly restore a sense of normalcy at home, urging public officials to return to work and students to return to school.
Like other countries bordering Syria, Lebanon is concerned that internal chaos could spread to its territory. Clashes broke out on the Syrian border last week after Syrian militants opened fire on Lebanese soldiers, wounding at least five Lebanese soldiers. The Lebanese army said its forces were working to close illegal border crossings through the area.
After the incident, Mr. Mikati spoke to Mr. Al Shara on the phone. During the call, Mr. Al-Shara promised that “Syrian authorities are taking all necessary measures to restore stability on the border and prevent the problem from recurring,” Mr. Mikati’s office said at the time.
Further highlighting this challenge, Syrian state media announced on Saturday that Syrian security forces had arrested people accused of belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group, which had planned a large-scale attack in Damascus.
According to government-controlled media outlet SANA, the pair planned to use explosives inside the Sayedah Zeinab mausoleum, a sacred site especially revered by Shiite Muslims on the outskirts of Damascus.
Although the U.S.-led international coalition has largely defeated ISIS from its former strongholds in Iraq and Syria, the group is still active in some areas and continues to promote online attacks.
Something else is happening in the area.
-
Gaza Strip ceasefire talks: Israeli security chiefs will soon head to Qatar for high-level talks on a cease-fire that would free hostages held in Gaza, the Israeli government said Saturday night. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it had instructed David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, to lead a delegation to the Qatari capital Doha for negotiations. Qatar and Egypt have been mediating between Israel and Hamas with the help of the United States. Negotiations appeared to be deadlocked for months, but Israeli and U.S. officials have expressed cautious optimism that a deal will be reached in the coming weeks.
-
Rocket from Gaza: More than 15 months into the war between Israel and Hamas, Palestinian militants are still firing munitions from the Gaza Strip. But both Israeli and U.S. officials say Palestinian military capabilities have deteriorated significantly. Air raid sirens sounded in the Israeli border community of Kerem Shalom on Saturday after rockets were launched from the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military announced that it had successfully intercepted it.
