Report: Ortagus didn't threaten Lebanese officials over Israel talks

The message that Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Morgan Ortagus has addressed to President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam included a call for “speeding up the formation of three working groups comprised of military personnel and civilians” in order to resolve the outstanding issues with Israel, U.S. sources said.

“Some of the members might be diplomats who are retired brigadier generals,” the sources told Al-Jadeed television.

“These working groups are aimed at achieving progress in the files of Israeli withdrawal, border demarcation and the return of captives,” the sources added, noting that “any delay in the formation of these working groups will lead to obstructing progress in these files.”

The sources added that Ortagus “did not use the approach of pressure in her request that the working groups be formed, contrary to what some senior political sources in Lebanon have interpreted.”

Al-Jadeed and other media outlets had reported that Lebanon’s leaders had received phone calls from Ortagus, who “stressed the need to form civilian committees to negotiate with Israel.”

The reports claimed that Ortagus warned that the U.S. would withdraw from the ceasefire monitoring committee and grant Israel freedom of action if Lebanon fails to comply with the request.

Ortagus had announced on March 11 that the U.S. will be “bringing together Lebanon and Israel for talks aimed at diplomatically resolving several outstanding issues between the two countries.”

Ortagus said the issues that will be discussed are “the release of Lebanese prisoners, the remaining disputed points along the Blue Line, and the remaining 5 points where Israeli forces are still deployed.”

“We look forward to quickly convening these diplomat-led working groups to resolve outstanding issues, along with our international partners,” she added.

In an interview with Al-Jadeed that day, Ortagus said: "We want to get a political resolution, finally, to the border disputes."

"I feel fairly confident that... we can have final resolution on the five points and ultimately on the remaining issues related to the Blue Line," she added.