Hariri: Cabinet to Convene Soon, Anti-Terror Strategy Can Only Rely on Army
Al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri revealed Thursday that the cabinet will resume its meetings “soon”, stressing that any anti-terror strategy can only be implemented “through the army and legitimate security forces.”
“The government will resume its work soon, in light of the contacts I made with Prime Minister Tammam Salam,” Hariri said during a Center House meeting with Arab ambassadors to Lebanon.
Disputes over the mechanism of cabinet's work amid a presidential vacuum have led to a suspension of its sessions. The government assumed presidential powers after Michel Suleiman left the Baabda Palace on May 25, and decrees were being passed through the signatures of all 24 ministers.
Separately, Hariri announced that “any strategy to combat terrorism can only be implemented through the Lebanese army and legitimate security and military forces, which are competently shouldering their responsibilities across Lebanon.”
On Wednesday, Hariri's al-Mustaqbal movement and Hizbullah announced after their sixth dialogue session that they explored means to find a “national anti-terror strategy,” amid a continued dispute between them over the state's role in such a plan of action.
Hariri explained to his Arab guests that the dialogue is aimed at “defusing Sunni-Shiite tensions” and “alleviating the repercussions of Hizbullah's participation in the Syrian war.”
He then hoped to reach an “agreement” with the party over the election of a new president, noting that “the right gateway to devising a serious national strategy should be through the election of a president for the republic as soon as possible.”
Separately, Hariri lauded Saudi Arabia's “generous” $4 billion donation to the Lebanese army and security forces.
He called for reaching “a comprehensive Arab strategy to combat the phenomenon of terrorism that is proliferating in many countries and threatening the entire world,” without forgetting to warn of “the continuous Israeli threats against Lebanon and its sovereignty.”
Hariri also cautioned of “the threats of Iranian interference in the domestic situations of Arab countries, especially in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.”
Y.R.
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