The long hostile Lebanese-Syrian relations appeared officially to be improving, but complications persist over mutual accusations by Syria and the Lebanese ruling coalition over the guardianship of Fatah al-Islam fundamentalist militants, local analysts have said.
Lebanese Information Minister Tarik Mitri, who is from the government coalition, was received in Damascus on Sunday for a joint meeting of Arab information ministers, while Interior Minister Ziad Baroud had held talks on security coordination with his Syrian counterpart Bassam Abdel Majid last week.
The two countries had agreed to establish diplomatic ties for the first time since their independence before Lebanese President Michel Suleiman's visit to Syria in mid-August. The establishment of embassies between the two countries is expected to take place before the end of this year.
However, accumulated tension and recent mutual accusations have led to questions that to what extent the Lebanese-Syrian relations have been improved.
On Nov. 6, the Syrian state television broadcasted confessions and testimonies of Fatah al-Islam members who admitted carrying out a bomb attack in Damascus in September, killing 17 people.
The television also broadcasted a testimony of daughter of Fatah al-Islam leader Shaker al-Abssi, Wafa, who said that Al-Moustaqbal movement was financing the group and ensuring political cover for them.
Fatah al-Islam is believed to be an al-Qaida-inspired group which has taken refuge in the Palestinian refugee camp of Naher al-Bared in northern Lebanon.
The Lebanese government lists it as a terrorist network aimed at destabilizing Lebanon and adopted a tough stand against it last year during a 15-week war the two sides engaged at the Naher al-Bared refugee camp.
But Majority leader Saad Hariri denied the accusation and in return, his Al-Moustaqbal newspaper fired back by publishing testimonies of arrested terrorist cell members detained by the Lebanese army, who claimed that Syria was sponsoring Fatah al-Islam.
Later, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora joined him and criticized Syria for broadcasting testimonies of terrorist members on its official television, instead of tackling it through proper channels with Lebanon.
Most local political analysts have said that the improvement of ties has been hindered by recent accusations due to the mistrust which accumulated in 30 years of Syrian dominance of Lebanon.
The shaky relation resumed when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned in September of growing extremist threats in north Lebanon, followed by the deployment of 10,000 Syrian troops along the borders with Lebanon.
The upcoming visit of opposition Christian majority leader Michel Aoun to Damascus also caused controversy in Lebanon.
In 1990, Syrian air force raided the Lebanese presidential palace and ousted Aoun who was then the head of Lebanese transition government and had declared a liberation war against the Syrian army.
Aoun was in exile in France until 2005. He returned home after the Syrian army pulled out of Lebanon following nearly three decades of military presence.
However, on Feb. 6, 2006, Aoun met with Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of pro-Syria Hezbollah and declared Hezbollah is his closest ally.
According to press reports, Aoun is expected to be treated like a hero in Damascus.
Meanwhile, Suleiman seems to be eager to normalize relation with Syria as well, but many Lebanese still have a problem of trust in Syria, local political observers said.
Source:Xinhua
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