Lebanese FM praises Tehran’s support for Syria

Lebanese foreign Minister Adnan Mansour praised Iran’s support for Syrian government against foreign interference here Monday. He made the remarks in a meeting with Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi. The official noted that those countries which have sanctioned Syria are paying a high price for that and are under big pressure from their own private section. “Syria will pass these days; stability and peace will return to the country in the near future,” Mansour underlined. He referred to the capture of a US spy drone as well as the arrest of a US spy by Iran and congratulated the great successes to the Iranian officials and nation. Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March, with demonstrations being held both against and in favor of President Assad. Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed in the turmoil. While the opposition and Western countries accuse Syrian security forces of being behind the killings, Damascus blames what it describes as outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups for the deadly violence, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad. Meanwhile, the confession of Syrian rebels to carry out armed activities and killing people as well as security forces proves that recent developments in the country are to be seen as parts of an attempt to start a revolt in order to overthrow the current government and replace it with a US-backed regime. However, the resolution adopted by the Arab League against Syria has increased the unity of Syrian people. Figures show that during the past weeks, nearly 12 million people have demonstrated in support of President Assad. Iranian revolutionary Guards, IRGC, displayed an aircraft recently that it said was a US spy drone downed last week by an 'electronic ambush,' a feat that prompted boasts of Iranian technological prowess in the face of increased hostility from the west. According to these officials, the US built up the air base in Shindand, Afghanistan, with an eye to keeping a long-term presence there to launch surveillance missions and even special spy missions into Iran if deemed necessary in the future. The RQ-170 is one of the more sensitive surveillance platforms in the CIA's fleet. RQ-170 drones have been used in stealth missions into the airspace of other nations, including Pakistan, where surveillance was conducted for months on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan before he was killed in a US raid in May. Iranian state television also on Sunday aired the confession of an Iranian-American man detained for spying for the CIA. Iran's Intelligence Ministry said Saturday it had captured a CIA spy of Iranian origin who had received training in the U.S. Army's intelligence units and spent time at US military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. 'I was in a spying center in Bagram (a major US base in Afghanistan) ... I went to Dubai and then ... I flew to Tehran,' the arrested spy Amir Hekmati said.