Walid Phares

By Phares on Arabic Radio

Mar 4, 2008, 17:08

Phares to BBC Arabic

On the USS Cole deployment near Lebanon

London, Washington DC, March 2, 2008

Interviewed by the BBC about the latest deployment by the United States of the battleship USS Cole close to the Lebanese coasts, Dr Phares said the move is "primarily a counter maneuver to the mass influx of Iranian heavy weapons and missiles into Lebanon through the Syrian borders." Few months ago Phares had suggested to the US Government, to have the Navy balance the continuous flow of massive weapons from Iran to Lebanon. "When a regime like Iran, which is engaged in destabilization in Iraq, Gaza and Lebanon, moves significant assets to Lebanon and threatens to crumble the democratically elected Government of that country, the United Nations must act to implement its own resolutions particularly the removal of heavy weapons from Lebanon.

And until the UN gathers what it needs to begin implementing its resolutions, the United States, NATO, the Europeans and all powers concerned with countering Terrorism and committed to the UN resolutions can and should deploy efforts to send messages to the regional forces opposed to the UN resolutions."