Lebanese weapons alarm: Syrian rebels ‘major clients’

Published: 28 May, 2012, 12:15

Illegal arms smuggling in Syria’s neighbor Lebanon has caused outcry, with the UN urging the government to tackle the issue. In the midst of Syria’s spiraling conflict, more reports of Lebanese weapons fueling uprisings are coming to light.

"Such weapons create alarm, and the situation must be addressed from the perspective of protecting the welfare and safety of Lebanese society as a whole," said UN Special Coordinator Derek Plumbly on the Voice of Lebanon radio station.

He urged the Lebanese government to "take stock of these inappropriate and unsafe phenomena and incidents," stressing the importance of distancing Lebanon from turmoil in Syria and calming escalating tensions.

However, there have been repeated reports of weapons moving through Lebanon and an increase in arms prices. RT correspondent Maria Finoshina met with a weapons smuggler calling himself Shadi in Beirut who described the Syrian rebels as “major clients.”

“Bullets are very popular. But recently they are looking for really heavy stuff. We buy it from Hezbollah and their allies and resell – they have enough and they get it for free – as Iran makes their entire storages packed,” said Shadi. He added that he would keep on supporting the opposition until they managed to “topple” President Assad.

FULL STORY: http://www.rt.com/news/lebanon-arms-smuggling-syria-362/