Rival Leaders: Rise in Terrorist Threats Require Defense Strategy Based on Suleiman's Vision
President Michel Suleiman chaired on Monday a national dialogue session that stressed the importance of an agreement on a defense strategy given a rise in terrorist threats and amid a boycott by the majority of March 8 camp's representatives and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea from the March 14 alliance.
Suleiman had invited the rival leaders for a new session of all-party talks at Baabda Palace to discuss the controversial issue of Hizbullah’s arsenal or the so-called national defense strategy.
But Hizbullah representatives, Marada movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh, Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan, and MP Asaad Hardan, the head of the Syrian Social National Party announced the boycott.
Geagea, whose party had boycotted previous dialogue sessions, also did not attend Monday’s talks.
A statement issued after the session said the conferees agreed to discuss the national defense strategy based on the vision proposed by Suleiman during a previous session.
It said the continued Israeli threats, the Jewish state's procrastination in fully implementing U.N. Security Council resolution 1701, a rise in terrorist threats, and arms proliferation required an agreement on the defense strategy.
The rival leaders also welcomed the formation of the all-embracing national interest cabinet of Premier Tammam Salam, who took part in the dialogue session for the first time, and stressed the importance of its success in resolving the problems that the country is facing and in preparing for the presidential elections.
At the start of the talks, Suleiman warned against the dangers of a rise in the number of Syrian refugees and an increase in terrorist activities.
He also referred to the challenges resulting from non-abidance to the decisions reached at previous dialogue sessions and mainly the Baabda Declaration that was announced by the rival leaders in 2012.
It stated an agreement to distance Lebanon from the regional turmoil.
Monday's closing statement stressed the importance of consolidating dialogue and hoped the leaders who boycotted the session would attend the next meeting on May 5.
Among the leaders who attended the talks are Speaker Nabih Berri, Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun, al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora, National Struggle Front chief MP Walid Jumblat and Amin Gemayel, who is the leader of Kataeb.
The participants of the talks did not make statements to reporters at Baabda Palace.
But Jumblat has told As Safir daily that “the boycott of the dialogue does not have an effect because dialogue will be open-ended.”
“Boycott is not beneficial because foreign and local interference is threatening Lebanon,” he said, adding “it would be better to confront them with dialogue among the (different) parties.”
As Safir quoted a Baabda Palace official as saying that Suleiman, who had vowed to start his tenure with dialogue, has insisted on ending it with dialogue as well.
The meetings between the different party leaders should remain alive despite the crises in the region, the official, who was not identified, said.
G.K.
M.T.
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