Hariri heads for Saudi Arabia as Cabinet congratulations pour in

Sleiman travels to Washington for Talks with Obama
By Elias Sakr
Daily Star staff
Saturday, December 12, 2009

BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri left on an official visit to Saudi Arabia Friday night for meetings with top Saudi officials. President Michel Sleiman leaves for Washington on Saturday, for discussions with US President Barack Obama.

The Lebanese head of state and his premier’s foreign visits come after the Cabinet received a record number of confidence votes on Thursday, despite the controversial issues of Hizbullah’s arms and the abolition of political sectarianism.

Prior to his departure to Saudi Arabia, Hariri held talks with Sleiman at Baabda Palace but made no statement following the meeting.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner congratulated the Cabinet and Hariri for receiving the vote of confidence, adding that it would allow the government to work seriously to strengthen the state institutions, as well as Lebanon’s stability and security.

The French minister voiced France’s full support for Hariri as well as its commitment to defend Lebanon’s unity, stability, sovereignty and independence.

Kouchner also stressed the need to continue the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, which helped end the 2006 war.

Similarly, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Riza Rahimi congratulated Hariri for the formation of the new Cabinet, inviting him to visit Tehran, and stressing that Lebanon deserved stability and security.

Rahimi also praised the Lebanese for their victories against Israel.

A possible trip by Hariri to Syria following his stop in Saudi Arabia and prior to his participation in the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit remained unclear as of Friday.

A recent rapprochement between the two regional powerbrokers Syria and Saudi Arabia facilitated breaking the political deadlock in Lebanon and the formation of the new national unity Cabinet.

During his visit to the US, Sleiman will be accompanied by Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Elias Murr, Foreign Minister Ali Shami and State Minister Wael Abu Faour.

Sleiman is expected to tackle with Obama a potential increase in Washington’s level of military aid to Beirut, the issue of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and the Middle East peace process.

A statement issued by Baabda Palace on Friday said Sleiman would also hold talks at Congress with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and hold separate meetings with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Transportation Secretary Ray Lahoud.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Friday he supported a visit by Hariri to Syria, provided it involves an agenda of talks that cover disputed issues between both countries.

Following his visit to Hariri at his residence in Downtown Beirut, Geagea said the timing of summoning warrants from the Syrian judiciary prior to Hariri’s trek to Damascus indicated that Syrian officials did not want the visit to happen.

Politicians from the March 14 Forces camp have said the warrants, in connection with the murder of former Premier Rafik Hariri, aimed to undermine Hariri’s position ahead of his Damascus visit.

“Every time the Lebanese show a will to improve relations with Syria, developments take place showing that there is no will for good ties,” said Geagea.

Commenting on the visit to Damascus by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun on Wednesday, Geagea called the trip a message to Sleiman and Lebanese Christians.

“Syria’s message is whoever gets closer to us, we’ll lay down the red carpet for him, fix matters for him, stay behind him and bring him support,” Geagea added.

As for criticism by the minority of Sleiman’s visit to the US, Geagea said March 14 parties should be the ones blaming the president for his stances on Independence eve and Army Day, particularly with regard to the resistance.

“I don’t know what resistance we are discussing, since a resistance should embrace all the Lebanese people, so we should be the ones blaming the president for listening to the Americans while on the contrary his stances are leaning toward the [minority],” Geagea said.

Separately, Akkar MP Hadi Hobeish said the resistance couldn’t be legitimate unless this was specified in legislation. He said the phenomenon of the resistance contradicted the Constitution, which gives the executive branch sole authority over the possession of weapons.

Hobeish called for the Lebanese state to be granted authority over Hizbullah’s arms in the framework of a national defense strategy to be agreed upon among the Lebanese.

The Future Movement MP added that the Syrian summoning warrants were not positive signs ahead of Hariri’s expected visit to Damascus.

Earlier in the day, Hariri inaugurated the Beirut Arab and International Book Fair on Friday, where he stressed that the aspects of social and economic growth would unite with that of stability and security in the upcoming period in the country, while underlining the importance of national coexistence among the Lebanese.