The highest Ranking Salafi Authority in Lebanon, Dai al-Islam Shahhal, warned against an incursion by the Syrian Army into north Lebanon saying it would open "the gates of hell and lead to what is similar to Iraq and its misery."

Shahhal made the remark in an interview with the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anbaa to be published on Thursday. Excerpts of the interview were faxed to Naharnet on Wednesday.

"The Syrian command and its allies in Lebanon are keen on driving a wedge between the Salafi movement and the Lebanese military establishment in order to drag the whole Sunni community into a conflict," Shahhal said.

The wave of terrorist bombings rocking Tripoli, according to Shahhal, "is an integral part of the deal concluded by the Syrian-Israeli negotiations which calls for Syrian (military) incursion in Tripoli and the north to finish off the Salafi Movement, as a first step, and other Lebanese factions allied with Syria, as a second step."

He said "such schemes would be confronted by awareness of Salafi leaders … and the Lebanese military command's wisdom."

Shahhal said the Salafi Movement would only take any decision to confront the threat "after consulting with the security forces and political leaders, at the executive and legislative levels."

"The Salafi Movement is not like other factions and would not take decisions to go to war or peace without coordinating its moves with all other factions because they have the right to set the national path," Shahhal added.

He warned against the "repercussions of any adventure by the special Syrian forces."

He urged Assad to refrain from such a step that would "open the gates of hell and lead to what is similar to Iraq and its misery."