Suleiman demands Syria to stop shelling

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman insisted on Friday to devise a defence strategy that meets the demands of the Lebanese army and its duties to defend the country and national interests, reported the National News Agency. He made his remarks in light of Hezbollah Leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's acknowledgment on Thursday that his party sent a drone over Israel last week. Nasrallah said the device was built by Iran. His acknowledgment came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed at Hezbollah and vowed to defend his country against further "threats.” Sulieman said: "Sending a drone over enemy territories demonstrates the need for a strategy to defend Lebanon." On October 6, the Israeli air force jets shot down the unarmed drone over southern Israel's Negev desert after it breached Israel’s airspace from the Mediterranean Sea. Suleiman said that Israel's "daily violations against Lebanon's sovereignty," needs to be resolved. He insisted that Lebanon has repeatedly filed complaints to the United Nations over this matter. Meanwhile, in an interview with Akhbar al-Yawm news agency, Suleiman called on both the Syrian regime and opposition to refrain from attacking Lebanon. "The Syrian army must exercise restraint and refrain from firing shells at Lebanon or cutting trees like what happened today. It must also stop blowing up houses in the area near the border," Suleiman added. As he reassured that "the Syrian crisis will not spark domestic fighting" in Lebanon, the president noted that "we have taken all the decisions that enable Lebanon to protect itself from the repercussions" of the Syrian conflict. Antoine Zahra, leading March 14 figure said Thursday that "Hezbollah is seeking to lure Israel into a war against Lebanon.” "Hezbollah has shifted from a defence strategy to an offensive one. It has eliminated the role of national dialogue," Zahra said. Zahra expressed worries that Hezbollah might push Lebanon to war against Israel in order to ease pressure on both the Syrian and Iranian regimes. President Suleiman had stated last week that the weapons not issued to state officials will eventually be removed, "whether they belong to Hezbollah or the Salafist forces."