Gulf diplomatic sources to "Al-Siyasah": Saudi-Qatari coordination to support the Lebanese army
Bin Farhan and Al-Khalifa in Beirut... Pessimism Shadows Rome Talks
Beirut – “Al-Siyasa” – By Omar Al-Bardan
As Saudi Royal Envoy Prince Yasser bin Farhan and Qatari Emir’s Envoy, Minister Plenipotentiary Mohammed bin Rahman Al-Khalifa, are expected to arrive in Beirut as part of Gulf efforts to unify the Lebanese national position on domestic and external files, their visits are of considerable importance. They relate to Riyadh and Doha’s efforts to find conciliatory approaches to the crisis in Lebanon and ways to overcome existing differences among political components, particularly regarding the file of negotiations with Israel. Diplomatic Gulf sources told “Al-Siyasa” that Saudi-Qatari coordination preceded the scheduled visits of Bin Farhan and Al-Khalifa, aiming to unify the vision on how to find the required solutions for pending files that constitute a point of contention among Lebanese. The sources stressed that supporting the Lebanese Army tops the agenda of talks to be held by the Saudi and Qatari officials with the Lebanese political leadership.
While pessimism and ambiguity shroud the path of the seventh round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, scheduled for August 4–6, which will discuss the next phase of the experimental stages, the occupation preempted the round three days before its convening with a wave of explosions yesterday, comparable in strength to earthquakes. This prompted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to warn that their continuation threatens the negotiation process. Meanwhile, visitors to Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s office conveyed his statement after his last visit to President Aoun: “The President and I know that the Framework Agreement is dead.” While it is expected that the Lebanese delegation’s demand will be firm, insisting on halting the bombing operations and expanding the experimental zones, in light of Israeli leaks that the occupation army will not withdraw from any other Lebanese areas, it has been learned that Lebanon added additional specialized figures to its negotiating delegation, after it was decided to include political, military, and economic files on the negotiation agenda.
According to information, the Lebanese delegation will be chaired by Ambassador Simon Karam. Lebanese Ambassador to the United States, Nida Hamada Maawaz, will participate alongside the military delegation, which will consist entirely of the six officers. Regarding the file of land border demarcation, lawyer Antoine Safi and expert Najib Massihi will join the delegation, along with a Lebanese Army officer from the Khazen family. The participation of these figures comes after Lebanon worked to select experts concerned with discussing the land demarcation file, including figures who previously participated in sea border demarcation talks. This step aims to strengthen the technical and legal aspects of the delegation, in light of an American tendency to place the land border file among the most prominent items of the upcoming talks. It has been learned that Washington intends to send an expanded delegation to the Rome talks and has requested Lebanon to form a similar delegation comprising representatives from the political and diplomatic delegations, the military delegation, alongside civilian and military specialists. The talks are expected to discuss the land border demarcation file alongside security and economic issues related to southern Lebanon, in an attempt to broaden the scope of negotiation and not confine it to the military aspect.
On the eve of completing the negotiation round, President Aoun affirmed that the Lebanese Army is not like other institutions, but rather the sole guarantor of Lebanon’s unity, sovereignty, and independence. He stated at the Army’s founding ceremony: “The time has come for all of us to firmly entrench the constant constitutional and national truth that there is no legitimacy for any weapon outside the state’s legitimacy, and no protection for the homeland except through its national, unifying army that represents all Lebanese, regardless of their regions, sects, or affiliations. Only the Army possesses the authority, strength, and legitimacy to serve as the state’s exclusive military arm, and this is what we are steadily and resolutely pursuing, step by step, in order to safeguard communal coexistence and the country’s stability.” He added, “In the South, where our Army has written its most splendid pages of sacrifice and resilience, the Army’s responsibility multiplies with each step of Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. The coming phase requires the full deployment of military units along the entire southern border and the exclusive extension of state authority over its lands, thereby demonstrating to the world that Lebanon, through its Army alone, can protect its sovereignty and secure this sensitive area, paving the way for the safe return of its people to their villages and towns.”
The Lebanese President called on the guarantor parties and the international community to assume their responsibilities and put an end to Israeli violations that threaten prospects for progress in the diplomatic track and undermine security and stability in the South. He stated that the massive explosions recorded at the Shqif Castle constitute a highly dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of existing commitments, as well as a direct threat to the process launched under the Framework Agreement, which Lebanon has committed to implementing. He considered that the timing of the attacks, on the eve of the scheduled session in Rome to complete discussions on implementing the trilateral framework, sends negative signals and undermines international efforts aimed at consolidating stability. He urged the guarantor parties and the international community to assume their responsibilities and put an end to violations that threaten prospects for progress in the diplomatic track and undermine security and stability in southern Lebanon.
