Thursday, 25 September 2014

Saudi foreign minister: We'll support Lebanon against terrorism anytime


BEIRUT: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal pledged to provide any counter-terrorism support that Lebanon requested, saying the kingdom would do its best to eliminate ISIS.


“If Lebanon asks for our support, we will provide it with it," An-Nahar newspaper quoted Faisal as saying Thursday. “We have supported Lebanon with a billion dollars to buy weapons, and the Lebanese brethren have showed appreciation for this aid.”


Saudi Arabia announced two donations to Lebanese Army and security forces earlier this year. The first was $3 billion worth of weapons that Lebanon would purchase from France, while a later $1 billion pledge was specifically designated to enhance Lebanon’s counterterrorism capacities and was announced during clashes in Arsal between the Lebanese Army and extremist groups.


Speaking from New York, where he is participating in the 69th General Assembly of the United Nations, Faisal said Saudi Arabia would back any effort that targeted terrorism.


“We will participate in any action that pushes back the terrorist organizations, and especially ISIS,” he said, calling ISIS an “evil that must be eliminated.”


“The first thing [ISIS] did was to steal the minds of our youth and to manipulate Islamic notions, causing indescribable harm to the Muslim people,” he added.


Faisal mocked the voices saying that the Syrian regime would benefit from the military campaign against ISIS in Syria, accusing President Bashar Assad of allowing the fundamentalist group to grow.


“The Syrian regime pretends to be against terrorism while ISIS has been on Syrian territory for three years,” he said, “and not even once have we heard about a battle between the Syrian Army and ISIS.”



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