UK: world community to help Lebanese Army restore calm in Tripoli

British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher said Friday that the international community will support the Army in restoring the stability in Lebanon’s northern city, but expressed concern that Syria is exporting its crisis to the country. “I think we must all get behind the leadership of the state institutions in managing this problem and this means looking at fresh support for the army,” Fletcher told reporters after his meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The envoy added that his country is considering “specific requests from the army for greater international support,” including training that would aid the military institution in carrying out its duties in Tripoli and surrounding areas. Fierce clashes erupted in the country’s second largest city of Tripoli earlier this week between supporters and opponents of President Bashar Assad, a worrying incident indicating spillover of the Syrian conflict. Local figures attempted to end the violence by agreeing to a tentative ceasefire but the killing of a Salafist sheikh Friday by a sniper reignited the fighting, which reached the heart of the city. Fletcher said he discussed with Mikati the “collective effort between Lebanon’s leaders and the international community to restore calm and stability throughout the country.” The official also vowed that the international community will do more to support the dialogue process which Mikati is leading between the different groups in Tripoli. “It is important there is a focus on dialogue rather than confrontation,” he said. Fletcher, who met Thursday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, said he also “expressed to the prime minister my concern and growing international concerns of evidence of external interference in Lebanon. “In particular, the situation in Tripoli leaves me worried that the Syrian regime is looking to export some of its own difficulties to its neighbors,” he added. “It is very clear that this is unacceptable both in Lebanon and also in the international community worldwidely.” Armed clashes in Tripoli’s rival neighborhoods have left at least 14 people killed and over 78 wounded. Fletcher also spoke about a long-term plan for the city that focuses primarily on social and economic reconstruction, saying that Britain would offer its expertise to assist in job creation. From DailyStar