Suleiman Holds Onto Discussing Spread of Arms at National Dialogue Table
President Michel Suleiman is holding onto his call for the National Dialogue to discuss the spread of arms inside and outside Lebanese cities, sources close to the head of state said.
The sources told As Safir daily published Wednesday that Suleiman’s call for all-party talks focuses on discussing the arms of the resistance in terms of the defense strategy and the urgent issue of the weapons used in the latest deadly gunbattles between pro- and anti-Syrian regime supporters in Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli.
They said the president also holds onto the implementation of decisions reached during previous National Dialogue sessions, including disarming Palestinian bases outside refugee camps.
Suleiman is mulling how to create the good circumstances to invite top Lebanese officials to the dialogue table, the sources said.
They told As Safir that the president could either make a televised appeal for dialogue given the deterioration of the security situation in the country or resume bilateral talks with the officials pending an invitation for the renewal of National Dialogue.
Meanwhile, al-Liwaa newspaper said Suleiman spent the entire afternoon on Tuesday holding telephone conversations with top Lebanese officials and the ambassadors of Arab and Western countries to contain the repercussions of the kidnapping of 11 Lebanese Shiites in Syria by armed men.
Sources did not rule out a visit by the president to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries – the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait – that have urged their citizens not to visit Lebanon.
Bahrain has also joined them in advising its citizens to leave the country.
As Safir said that Saudi Ambassador to Beirut Ali Awadh Asiri informed Suleiman during a meeting on Tuesday that Saudi authorities encourage the resumption of dialogue among the different Lebanese parties.
It added that the president discussed with Asiri a possible visit to Riyadh.
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