Efforts ongoing to reschedule Haykal's US visit within 48 hours
Efforts are ongoing within official political and intelligence channels in order to reschedule a new visit for Army chief Rodolphe Haykal to Washington within 48 hours, a media report said.
Haykal would meanwhile renew “his pledge to remove arms south and north of the Litani by the end of this year,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper said.
Senior and informed U.S. sources meanwhile told the daily that the reports claiming that the U.S. administration is pushing for Haykal’s resignation are “exaggerated and excessive speculation and intimidation.”
Asked whether Lebanon still has a chance to “regain the international community’s confidence and disarm Hezbollah,” the sources said: “Yes, there is a chance to correct this matter.”
“That’s why the United States is strenuously working behind the scenes with the Mechanism committee,” the sources added.
As for the Lebanese fears over a possible expansion of the Israeli strikes on Lebanon, the sources said a new Israeli war on Lebanon remains a possibility, adding that Washington is worried over such a scenario and is exerting utmost efforts to prevent it.
“That’s why we’re doing what we can to help the Lebanese Army and to make the mechanism and plan it has presented work and succeed,” the sources added.
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