Mustaqbal Throws Weight behind Salam: Lebanon Can't Breach Arab Consensus

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday threw its weight behind Prime Minister Tammam Salam, after his remarks on Yemen at the Sharm el-Sheikh Arab Summit drew criticism from Hizbullah.

“The bloc lauds the balanced stance that was voiced at the Arab Summit by PM Tammam Salam and stresses that Lebanon cannot breach Arab consensus or endorse unilateral policies,” it said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

“In this regard, the bloc renews its stance that is committed to the Baabda Declaration and the Arab and international resolutions,” it added.

On Monday, Hizbullah said Salam's Arab stances were not discussed or sanctioned by the cabinet, pointing out that the PM's remarks do not reflect the viewpoint of all Lebanese.

“We want to clarify that these two stances – the aggression on Yemen and the creation of a joint Arab force – were not discussed in the Lebanese cabinet,” Hizbullah Industry Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan said in a statement.

Last week, Saudi Arabia launched military operation Firmness Storm to combat the growing influence of the Iranian-backed Huthi movement in Yemen. It has launched airstrikes in the country, backed by several Arab and Muslim countries.

In his speech at the summit, Salam said the threats emanating from the Yemeni crisis prompted Saudi Arabia to "heed President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi's call and launch an Arab-Islamic military coalition to contain the dangers, consolidate legitimacy and restore normalcy in Yemen."

In its statement on Tuesday, Mustaqbal said the Saudi-led campaign aims to “confront the Persian (Iranian) attempt to seize control of the Arab state of Yemen … through armed militias that staged a coup against the law and the free democratic choice.”

“Al-Mustaqbal bloc clearly declares its support for the Arab stance in the face of the Persian domination attempts, on the one hand, and the Israeli attempts on the other,” the bloc added.

It stressed that Saudi King Salman's invitation for all Yemeni political factions to meet and hold dialogue in the kingdom remains “the valid approach to reach a political solution in Yemen.”

The bloc also voiced support for the Arab leaders' decision to establish a joint Arab military forces.

Separately, Mustaqbal called on the Lebanese government to exert efforts to secure the release of the troops and policemen who were abducted several months ago by jihadist groups, noting that “it is no longer acceptable to continue this painful plight.”

The bloc also expressed support for the statement of the spiritual summit that was held Monday in Bkirki, “especially the call for electing a new president.”

Y.R.