Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi described the Lebanese army on Saturday as Lebanon’s backbone saying the country has no pride or dignity without a strong army.

In remarks at Beirut airport before traveling to Paris on an official visit, al-Rahi said: “The army is Lebanon’s backbone, it is Lebanese pride and honor.”

A top U.S. official has said that the Obama administration is adopting a neutral policy towards Premier Najib Miqati because it can’t easily overlook the way he came to power.

The official told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in Paris, that the U.S. “is adopting neutrality because it knows Miqati since he became prime minister in 2005.”

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has expressed concern to Premier Najib Miqati on the latest attacks on UNIFIL and urged all Lebanese sides to respect Security Council resolutions, including 1701, French diplomatic sources said.

The sources told An Nahar daily that during his meeting with Miqati on the sidelines of the “Friends of Libya” conference on Thursday, Juppe condemned the bombing attacks on UNIFIL troops on May 27 and July 26.

Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun has said that hatefulness is embodied in al-Mustaqbal movement and slammed parties who supported the electricity plan and then backed off from it.

At a dinner organized by the FPM, Aoun accused some parties of obstructing the movement’s reforms.

Premier Najib Miqati will visit New York end of the month and will likely head the monthly U.N. Security Council meeting on the Middle East on Sept. 27, a diplomatic source said.

The source told An Nahar daily published Saturday that Miqati will not travel on the same plane of President Michel Suleiman who is expected to go to New York on Sept. 18 at the head of the Lebanese delegation that will participate in the 66th General Assembly meeting.

U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly lauded Premier Najib Miqati for announcing that the Lebanese government will fund the international tribunal and rejecting to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs.

In remarks to An Nahar daily published Saturday, Connelly also praised Miqati for saying Lebanon was committed to international resolutions particularly 1701.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani said Friday that the army is the only state institution that guarantees the unity of the nation, calling for Lebanese support to the military leadership.

During the inauguration of a mosque in the southern town of Shebaa, Qabbani said: “There is still an opportunity to preserve our unity and coexistence and cooperate to build the future of generations.”

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Friday the importance of Lebanon’s implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701.

He said after holding talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi: “Lebanon is keen on the safety of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon.”

Vice President of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Abdul Amir Qabalan urged the Lebanese to fortify their national strength through communication and to renew the national dialogue to end their disputes.

“The Lebanese are destined to agree upon and discuss their disputes and crises in order to resolve them,” Qabalan said during his Friday Muslim prayer sermon.

A spokesman of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri told An Nahar newspaper on Friday that the opening of the trials is a decision taken by the trial chamber only.

The spokesman said that the trial date depends on a number of factors, including the time needed by the defense office to examine the evidence presented by Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare.