Syrian strongman Bashar Assad said that Syria would not be sending its military back into Lebanon, Al-Jazeera news channel reported. Speaking to French reporters, Assad said that the current unrest in Lebanon has no effect on Syria and that "extremist elements are being funded by political bodies in Lebanon to create the illusion of a sectarian conflict."

Assad denied that his country is arming the Lebanese opposition, and especially Hizbullah, and claimed that all factions in Lebanon have an easy time getting weapons.