Berri Says Dialogue Won't Address Hizbullah Arms as Opposition Insists on it

Speaker Nabih Berri has not coordinated his call for dialogue with the Hizbullah leadership, revealed sources close to the party to the daily An Nahar Saturday.

They noted that it appears that Berri had taken it upon himself to issue the call for dialogue, “which he has the right to, especially since the region is witnessing several important developments.”

The daily reported that the speaker is expected to meet with President Michel Suleiman to discuss this matter, but an exact date has not been set for it and it could be delayed until after Eid al-Adha.

Berri had told al-Manar television on Friday that Hizbullah’s arms will not be addressed at the national dialogue, while the opposition insists that it should.

He said that the country’s defense strategy lies in the equation of the army, people, and resistance.

Mustaqbal parliamentary sources meanwhile questioned the need to return to the dialogue table given that the agreements of the previous dialogue talks were not implemented.

They told al-Liwaa newspaper in remarks published on Saturday that the March 14 forces are not keen on resuming dialogue if they do not receive confirmations that the talks will be limited to Hizbullah’s weapons, seeing as it is the only pending issue that was not resolved at the national dialogue.

The dialogue had settled the demarcation of the Lebanese-Syrian border and the Palestinian possession of arms outside refugee camps, reported al-Liwaa.

The sources said: “Resuming dialogue is necessary to devise a defense strategy that encompasses all components of the Lebanese society.”

“The opposition will not grant the parliamentary majority any opportunity to procrastinate during the dialogue and take it off its course by proposing issues that have already been resolved, especially the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” they stressed.

“The government’s obligation to fund the tribunal is not up for discussion,” they added.

They noted that even though Prime Minister Najib Miqati had stated that Lebanon will fund the tribunal, he is still stalling in this issue, “which is probably part of a plan with Hizbullah to avoid the funding altogether.”

These indications do not encourage the March 14 forces to resume national dialogue, the sources said.

Meanwhile, a prominent source from the majority attributed the opposition’s lack of enthusiasm over the dialogue to its hope that the Syrian regime will be toppled and consequently the government will be toppled as well.

They are also waiting what will become of the government should it refuse to fund the tribunal, it added.