Hezbollah credits gov't with safe borders

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BEIRUT, Lebanon, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- The ruling March 8 alliance in Beirut is credited with preventing the Syrian war from spilling over the Lebanese border, the leader of Hezbollah said Thursday.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah called on the government to develop a political stance to support dialogue in Syria. The ruling March 8 alliance in Lebanon contains lawmakers from his Shiite movement.

"If the other team was in government, they would have involved Lebanon in fighting inside Lebanon and in Syria," he was quoted by The Daily Star newspaper in Lebanon as saying.

He credited March 8 with preventing the civil war from spilling into Lebanon.

The pro-Western March 14 coalition in Lebanon last month called for more support for the Syrian opposition given the growing support in the Arab community.

Syrian influence loomed large over political affairs in Lebanon before the Cedar Revolution in 2005 forced Damascus to pull back.

A series of internal political skirmishes and kidnappings in Lebanon, however, have sparked concern the civil war in Syria could spill across the borders.

"It's thanks to our stance and the stance of the current Lebanese government with regard to the Syrian crisis that fighting in Syria has been prevented from spreading to us," said Nasrallah.