The following article appeared in the "Alsyassa" newspaper in
Lebanon last week and has been translated to English by a friend and
highly reliable source. The article points to investigations in the
U.S. which led to the arrests of Syrian-allied suspects in Lebanon:
"The investigation into the assassination of Pierre Gemayel
led to the detection and seizure of weapons and explosives detonators
and the arrest of seven of the Beirut-Syrian nationalists
The Lebanese authorities confiscated weapons and explosives
yesterday of several locations of the Syrian Social National Party,
the pro-Syria in the Koura in northern Lebanon. A security source said
that the raid and confiscation included locations and houses scattered
in several villages in the Koura province, south-east Tripoli, most
prominent Kosba, Shekka and Afessdeeq. As to the Directorate General
of the Internal Security Forces assured in a statement that “the
arrest of a number of people" during raids and the confiscation of
weapons and explosives in Koura.
The source explained that one of its unit raided several houses in
the Koura found inside "a large quantity of explosives with electric
detonators used for the bombing and stopwatches to control the timing
of the bombing in addition to large quantities of weapons." Authorized
Lebanese security sources revealed to al-Seyassah that, during the
raids on two stolen cars caches inside one of the Syrian Social
National Party, working to identify their owners, have confiscated the
equivalent of two truckloads of weapons.
Well aware those, the official of the SSNP Tony Mansour and his
father were arrested during the raid and seized a gun inside the car
of the first, and that security forces cordoned off the main party
headquarters in Beirut. Meanwhile Party leader, Ali Qanso, admitted
the arrest of seven official Syrian Social nationalists and the
confiscation of explosives in northern Lebanon, claiming that they
were kept since "the 1980s when he was involved in the resistance"
against Israel.
Informed sources declared to al-Seyassah that, before 15
days, the National Security in the United States investigated Halim
Hardan, student at the University of St. Louis, son of current MP
Assaad Hardan, former minister and leading member of the Syrian
Nationalist Party and the Canadian authorities as well, carried out
investigation with one Khudor Awarka, the official Syrian National
Party in Canada. Further to that, investigations took place in the
United States and Canada with a number of the "Free National Current"
followers which is led by MP Michel Aoun. In the outcome of these
investigations, information and confessions related to the case of the
assassination of MP and Minister Pierre Gemayel, has been extracted
and that the American and Canadian authorities these information to
the Lebanese government that used in the investigation of the
assassination, and reached an important thread task brought to give
the orders to raid a number of houses and warehouses belonging to the
elements in the Syrian National Party in the area of Koura in North
Lebanon, yesterday. (Emphasis mine.)
At a press conference held yesterday evening, Qanso said that the
Internal Security Forces carried out a surprise raids on the National
elements Koura, led to "the arrest of seven comrades." He assured that
the confiscation of explosives and explosive devices and timing" are
kept since the 1980s after ceasing the participation in the resistance
against Israel ... And we kept them with us as reserve weapon for any
later role in the resistance." Qanso described the confiscated weapons
as "weapons of individual needed for party member due to the exposed
security situation" in Lebanon. And confiscation of weapons and
explosives coincides with the severe intense of political crisis in
Lebanon between the parliamentary majority opposing Damascus and the
opposition that includes Syrian loyalist parties, amongst them, the
Syrian Social National Party.
Qanso condemned the raids and warned the security services of "excessive
reckless," and threatened that "there are limits to the patience of
the nationalists", without giving further details, and enrolled what
has happened in the framework of the "incitement" of the opposition
that, since the beginning of this month, has started an open stay-in
strike to overdraw the government. Qanso denounced the "campaign of
rumours trying to give the impression that there is a link between the
raids and security events that took place in Lebanon."
Lebanon witnessed, in the last two years, a series of explosions
and assassinations took six dignitary figures opposes Syria, notably
former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri February 14, 2005, the latest
Minister Pierre Gemayel on November 21.
The Lebanese militias handed over their weapons to the state after
the end of the civil war (1975 - 1990) except for "Hezbollah" Shiite
who retained under the title of resisting Israel."
