Al-Watan: Saudi plotting against Syria

The pro-regime Al-Watan daily accused the Saudi authorities on Monday of "plotting" against Syria, and also of turning Lebanon into a springboard for attacking the country. The newspaper accused Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal of "sending arms to fighters and mercenaries they are financing in north Lebanon," where weekend clashes between pro- and anti-Damascus factions left 14 dead. "Saud al-Faisal is taking part in plans to transform (north Lebanon) into a buffer zone, to expel the Lebanese army, to stage attacks and kill Syrians," Al-Watan added. Prince Saud accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday of "manoeuvring" to gain time, while ignoring UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan. "Every initiative has been accepted by the Syrian regime and was not implemented. This is a way used by the regime to gain time," Prince Saud told reporters in Jeddah. "What's going on in Tripoli is by no doubt an extension of the events in Syria. We have noticed since a while ago that the regime is turning the conflict into a sectarian conflict," he added. "These things do not only threaten Lebanon but they also threaten Syria itself as it might divide the country and this is a very dangerous phenomenon. "If this conflict spreads, it will create circumstances which are worse than the crisis itself."