THE TELEGRAPH: The United States has summoned the senior Syrian diplomat in Washington to address "provocative behaviour" regarding the potential transfer of Scud missiles to Hizbollah that it said could be a threat to both Lebanon and Israel.
"The United States condemns in the strongest terms the transfer of any arms, and especially ballistic missile systems such as the Scud, from Syria to Hizbollah," the statement, issued by State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid, said.
"The transfer of these arms can only have a destabilising effect on the region, and would pose an immediate threat to both the security of Israel and the sovereignty of Lebanon."
The US statement stopped short of confirming the alleged transfer of long-range Scud missiles to Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas, which if true could cast doubt on US President Barack Obama's diplomatic outreach to Syria.
The State Department said this was the fourth time in recent months that Washington had raised the issue with the Syrian Embassy.
US officials said last week they believed Syria intended to transfer the weaponry, but had doubts about whether the missiles were delivered fully assembled or had actually been transferred to Lebanon.
Damascus has denied the transfer and said Israel might be using the accusation as a pretext for a military strike against Syrian targets. >>> | Tuesday, April 20, 2010
