West Fears Syrian Crisis Might Spill into Lebanon

The West fears that the popular uprising that erupted in Syria might affect the Lebanese local situation, as the Lebanese officials are divided over their responses to the revolt against President Bashar Assad.

“Any new European sanctions will target the financial sector in Syria,” western diplomatic sources told An Nahar newspaper on Tuesday.

Security sources warned from the Syrian infiltration into the Lebanese territories.

“Damascus doesn’t need its army to track down the opposition members that fled to Lebanon since it has enough agents in Lebanon ready to implement the orders given by the (regime),” the sources told the daily.

Over the past few weeks, Syrian units have entered, on separate occasions, the Bekaa towns of Arsal and al-Qaa, and northern Lebanon towns.

The daily reported that a number of fundamentalist organization members are infiltrating into southern Lebanon and into the Palestinian refugee camps.

As security sources admit that the situation inside those camps is unstable and threats the local situation.

The sources also fear an increase in the attacks on the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whereby Paris has informed Lebanese officials that it might withdraw its peacekeeping troops if it was under any new attack.

A French U.N. patrol was attacked on July 26 and Italian peacekeepers were targeted on May 27.

The UNIFIL, founded in 1978, currently counts some 12,000 troops from 35 countries and is tasked with overseeing a fragile peace along Lebanon's southern border with Israel.

Concerning the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the sources said that PM Najib Miqati is in a difficult situation that might lead to his resignation if Hizbullah and its allies insisted on their position.

They added if Miqati resigned then appointing a new premier might face obstacles, which will lead to a government vacuum, however, the current cabinet will have to remain in power until the Syrian situation is resolved.