Sources: Dialogue that Won’t Tackle Defense Strategy, Hizbullah Arms out of the Question

It is unclear if the national dialogue agenda will strictly tackle Hizbullah’s possession of arms, informed sources told al-Mustaqbal daily in remarks published on Sunday.

They added that the agenda and the participants’ expectations have not been set yet.

“No issue will be brought up unless it enjoys the support of all sides,” they stressed.

“There’s a danger that the dialogue would be obstructed and even not held in the first place if one camp does not agree to the dialogue for whatever reason,” they noted.

The sources said however that there can be no escaping dialogue as “another area besides cabinet must be found where the Lebanese can hold talks with each other.”

Meanwhile, diplomatic sources told the daily that the March 14 camp would not participate in the dialogue if the rival March 8 camp sought to include other issues, such as the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, along with Hizbullah’s arms on its agenda.

March 14 sources said: “Holding dialogue would be out of the question if other issues besides the defense strategy and Hizbullah’s weapons are placed on the agenda.”

“Participation in the national dialogue is not a game,” they added.

Furthermore, they suggested that the participants of the dialogue be changed.

They explained that some participants don’t properly represent parliamentary powers.

“Some parliamentary blocs of four MPs or more are not members of the national dialogue, while some blocs that have been artificially formed are part of the talks,” they noted.