Report: U.S. Does Not Support Govt. Remaining in Power, But Opposes Vacuum in Lebanon
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Elizabeth Jones arrived in Lebanon on Tuesday where she is set to hold talks with senior officials.
She kicked off her visit by holding separate talks with President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri.
A U.S. diplomatic source told An Nahar that Washington “does not support the Lebanese government remaining in power, but it is concerned with the possibility of a power vacuum in Lebanon.”
A vacuum could lead Lebanon to a worse situation than the current one should an agreement on a new cabinet fail to be reached, it noted.
Furthermore, it said it did not favor the possibility of maintaining the government for caretaking purposes, noting that it would be difficult for it to protect Lebanon.
It therefore stressed that Washington supports Suleiman's efforts to reach an agreement among political powers on a new one.
It also backs the formation of a government that protects Lebanon's sovereignty and prevents it from being subject to Syrian influence.
The March 14 camp announced during a political statement on Tuesday its complete boycott of government activity.
They called for the formation of a “neutral, salvation government that endorses the Baabda Declaration as its ministerial Policy Statement.”
“We will not tolerate that our rejection of the dangerous situation be depicted as a battle to return to power or to the premiership,” the March camp said in a statement issued after a broad meeting for its leaders at the Center House in downtown Beirut.
The camp had repeatedly demanded the resignation of the government over the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan on October 19.
It accused Syria of being behind the crime, while blaming the government, which is comprised of pro-Syria forces, of covering up for it.
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