Syrian ambassador; Arab leaders behind seized arms ship

Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali AbdulKarim Ali Wednesday accused Arab political and security leadership of being behind the arms ship seized in Lebanon last week, the official National News Agency reported. Ali said after meeting with Lebanese Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour that "the arms containers were destined to the Syrian opposition and their accomplices ... the political and security leadership in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other countries are behind the incidents in Syria, Lebanon and the region." The vessel Lutfallah II that carries the flag of Sierra Leone was stopped by the Lebanese navy off the northern coast on Friday and towed to the port of Selaata and then to the navy base in the Lebanese capital of Beirut. The eleven-member crew, eight Syrians, two Egyptians and an Indian, and the ship's agent were arrested. For his part, Mansour said that the Lebanese authorities are keen on playing a "positive" and "effective" role along the Lebanese-Syrian border. On the interception of Lutfallah II, he said it was an important accomplishment. Investigations revealed that no Lebanese national was involved in the case. The Syrian government has repeatedly said that weapons are being smuggled from Lebanon to arm the rebel Free Syrian Army.