Report: U.S. Backs Forming New Govt., but Rejects Steps that May Jeopardize Lebanon's Stability
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The United States supports the formation of a new government in Lebanon, but it also sets as a priority the preservation of stability in Lebanon, As Safir newspaper on Saturday.
It also opposes any measure that may jeopardize Lebanon's stability, U.S. Ambassador David Hale told President Michel Suleiman during a meeting they held away from the media spotlight between Christmas and New Year's eve.
He warned that such as measure may lead to Hizbullah seizing control over the whole of Lebanon.
In a related development, An Nahar daily reported on Saturday that Suleiman, in agreement with Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam, had decided to “give a new chance to the formation of an all-embracing cabinet.”
Sources monitoring the government consultations told the daily that Suleiman's envoy Khalil al-Hrawi relayed the president's position to head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora on Thursday and to the political aide of Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hussein Khalil.
For his part, Salam had held talks with Saniora to this end on Thursday.
Salam had also discussed the government formation efforts with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Friday.
The sources revealed that the president and PM-designate are urging all political powers to abandon the conditions and counter-conditions they are placing on the formation of a cabinet.
Jumblat is playing a major role to this end, they told An Nahar.
The March 14 camp has been demanding that a new government should not include Hizbullah members.
Jumblat and the Hizbullah-led March 8 camp have meanwhile warned against the formation of a “de facto” cabinet, suggesting instead the formation of a national government that grants nine ministers to each of the March 8 and 14 forces and six to centrists.
04 January 2014, 14:28
77
Long live our President General Michel Sleiman!
Do it, just do it, do it now!
enough with the internationally recognized terrorist organisation ruling our lives. the terrorists who strike from Thailand to Argentina and kills on a daily basis in Syria and Lebanon.
04 January 2014, 16:15
35
So the US wants a government formed AND stability. In context, Hezbollah has said that it wants a government formed, but if its a neutral government, a fait accompli government, then Hezbollah will create instability in reaction to it. So, the US seems to be supporting a government to be formed in Lebanon that will not cause Hezbollah to create instability. Result: US counsels Lebanon to turn itself over to Hezbollah so that it will not become unstable.
04 January 2014, 16:17
35
Next context, the US is trying now with Iran to work a nuclear arrangement. Iran wants to maintain control in Lebanon through the nuclear discussions as negotiating leverage and maybe even beyond, through implementation of the deal. This creates strategic symmetry. The US has AIPAC with its sanctions hair trigger in the US Senate ready to impose new sanctions if Iran does not keep to the terms of a deal; Iran will keep Hezbollah with its rockets pointed at Israel in case the US and the West does not keep to their commitments.
04 January 2014, 16:21
27
It is most peculiar how before the Chatah bomb and the Haret Hreik bomb, Sleiman was for the neutral government to be formed. After the Haret Hreik bomb, Sleiman is against the neutral government. Message sent from Hezbollah: Instability and war if the non-M8 political centers act contrary to Hezbollah's interest. Message Received and conduct corrected by Michel Sleiman.
And the Lebanese ask why their country is like it is??? Its quite simple, when the other guy is willing to blow up the country to get its way and you are not, the guy with the dynamite wins ever argument.
04 January 2014, 22:36
00
god bless America
the US is against who took action in 911 and 90%of 9 11 terrorists are saoudi
so justice is being done and will never stop till they kill all terroists and their sponsors
05 January 2014, 14:22
10
Obama's Adm. is playing the same old dirty game (villenous transactions with enemy against friend) US played in 1990 plotting with Assad then against Lebanon's People, Democracy & State of Law.
Now US is playing for the interests of Fundamentalist shia in Lebanon as well as in Syria & Irak.
The difference now is in KSA a major player taking a strong stance against US-Iranian dirty plot
