The United States called
Monday on Lebanon to ensure transparency in any action against former minister
Michel Samaha, fearing a spread of violence from neighboring Syria.
Samaha was arrested on
Thursday and a Lebanese judge has accused him and Syria's security chief,
General Ali Mamlouk, of planning sectarian killings and explosions in the
North.
U.S. State Department
spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said she could not comment on the accusations but
reiterated concern over "the ethnic tensions inside Syria spilling over
into Lebanon."
"So we want to see
Lebanese authorities work well together and work well with Lebanese defense
forces to address any spillover," Nuland told reporters.
"Obviously any
court procedures should proceed in an open, transparent manner that respects
international standards," she said.
Samaha is close to Syrian
President Bashar Assad's embattled regime. Mamlouk was appointed on July 24 as
Syria's new head of national security in a shake-up after a bombing killed four
top generals.http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/49960
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