U.S. Official Meets Qahwaji, Stresses Importance of Abiding by 1701

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Combating Terrorism William Wechsler held talks on Wednesday with Lebanese Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji.

Wechsler discussed with Qahwaji the local political and security situation and other regional issues, according to a statement issued by the U.S. embassy in Beirut.

The U.S. official emphasized the strong and sustained military cooperation between the two countries as well as U.S. support for Lebanon’s initiatives to implement its obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

Resolution 1701, which ended the Hizbullah-Israel war in 2006, expanded the mandate of U.N. troops in the South, which was originally formed in 1978 after the outbreak of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.

It imposed a strict embargo on weapons destined for Lebanese or foreign militias in Lebanon, and pressed Israel to end violations of Lebanon's airspace and to withdraw from northern Ghajar.

Wechsler renewed his country's commitment to a stable, sovereign and independent Lebanon.

He stressed continuing joint effort between the two countries to strengthen the capacity of Lebanese army as the it is the “sole legitimated defense force in securing Lebanon’s borders and defending the sovereignty and independence of the state.”

Fighting in Syria along the border has spilled over into Lebanon, with rebels reportedly targeting border towns inside Lebanon in response to Hizbullah involvement in the conflict.