(Vatican Radio) About 20 UN observers have been detained by about 30 Syrian armed
fighters near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The rebels said they took the monitors
to try to stop the Syrian army from firing on them and civilians in the areas. The
observers, from the Philippines, were monitoring the Syrian-Isreali ceasefire. This
is the latest sign that the Syrian conflict is in danger of spilling over its borders.
This is felt especially in Lebanon, where hundreds of people have died in Syria-linked
violence over the past two years. “Certainly, we are scared,” said Mohammad Sammak,
a Sunni Muslim who is the Secretary-General of Lebanon’s National Committee for Christian-Muslim
Dialogue. “For the sake of the Syrians who are suffering, you have more than 70.000
people now killed. The country is [destroyed] completely, and this will have political,
economic, and social consequences in the coming future.” He told Vatican Radio
this will affect the entire region. “Not only Lebanon will suffer, all the Middle
East will suffer because what is happening now in Syria,” Sammak said. “We hope that
this misery will stop, but I am afraid the international community is not doing its
job properly, only just speaking and trying the minimum so far. I hope they will
take it more seriously, because it will put international security in danger.” Listen
to the interview by Salvatore Sabatino with Mohammad Sammak: