Iran to Sign Agreements with Lebanon, GLU Strike Breached
Here is Jeffery Feltman , the famous US man in the Lebanese arena.
As a former US ambassador to Lebanon and the current US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, the image of the pro-"Israeli" man is well engraved in the Lebanese memory.
However, Feltman didn't come alone this time.
He is accompanied by the US Senator in the Armed Services Committee Joseph Lieberman who crossed all diplomatic norms by a field survey on the Lebanese borders with Syria.
He further criticized the Lebanese government for not supporting the armed Syrian opposition and refugees.
US Visit: The Voice of Sedition
Well-informed sources told "as-Safir" Lebanese daily Thursday that "the US visit to Lebanon does not reflect necessarily the progress of Lebanon's position in the US priorities."
"To US, Lebanon is still a supplement to the Syrian file," the sources said, noting that "the US strategic focus is now on Syria as the Obama administration is trying to proceed with the lowest possible cost."
"Washington also focuses on Afghanistan as it seeks to withdraw with the least possible losses," they added.
Moreover, the sources noted that Feltman and Lieberman expressed concern "for any negative implications of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon which suggest that Washington wouldn't shake the Lebanese situation at this stage."
"The objective of Feltman's meetings with "March 14" figures is to tighten the joints of this team that resembles the Lebanese spearhead against the Syrian regime," "as-Safir" mentioned.
It also said that "Feltman also sought to make Lebanon the most important political incubator for the displaced Syrians."
"As-Safir" further reported that "the US diplomat urged "March 14" to begin organizing their campaign for the parliamentary elections, so that they would return to power."
For its part, "al-Akhbar" newspaper revealed the details of the Feltman's visit to Beirut.
An Arab diplomat uncovered to the daily that "one of the main objectives of Feltman's visit is to make a break through the Iranian barrier in Lebanon."
This came as the Iranian Vice President Mohammad Rida Rahemi is in an official visit to Lebanon where he is to discuss the cooperation between the two countries, and to sign agreements and bilateral understanding memoranda with the Lebanese side.
"US wanted to inform the Lebanese government that there are limits to its relations with Iran especially in light of the visit of the Iranian Vice President to Lebanon," the source clarified.
"Al-Akhbar" quoted the source as saying "what the US requires from Beirut is to distance itself from the economic ties with Tehran."
On another level, the source said that "Feltman emphasized to his Lebanese allies that Washington is still stressing the need to internally isolate Hizbullah.
"Last December, Feltman ordered "March 14" that what is required at this stage is to tighten the political campaign on Hizbullah."
"To achieve this goal, "March 14" must open its doors to all parties even the Lebanese General Michel Aoun, if he wishes," Feltman advised March 14 figures.
According to "al-Akhbar" source, "Feltman stressed to "March 14" that "toppling [the Syrian President Bashar]al-Assad regime will lead to a weakened and isolated Hizbullah."
"
In the framework to intensify the pressure on Hizbullah, the US will keep its doors half opened in face of the party's allies so that they would keep within their accounts the bet on Washington," Feltman informed "March 14".
"Washington also started thinking of new ways to curb Hizbullah, and to encourage the idea of establishing a neutral government of technocrats so that Hizbullah would be out of any government tasked with supervising the parliamentary elections," "al-Akhbar" source added.
In this context, the source viewed that "the goal of toppling the government is the essence of the current Saudi request from [the Head of the National Struggle Front]MP Walid Jumblatt."
"Saudi Arabia asked Jumblatt to cut his ties with Hizbullah as a condition for the normalization of his relationship with the kingdom," the source said, pointing out that "this condition is more important to the Kingdom than Jumblatt's position against the Syrian regime."
Berri: To Preserve Oil Right
Back to Feltman's meetings with Lebanese officials, the Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri told "an-Nahar" that in his talks with the US envoy, Berri stressed Lebanon's right in the exploration of gas and oil in its Exclusive Economic Zone.
"What we care for is to define the maritime border between Lebanon and Occupied Palestine and not to give up our rights."
For its part, "as-Safir" quoted Berri as confirming that "Lebanon insists on the investment in its exclusive economic, and its refusal to alienate any part of it."
On the Lebanese government, Berri said that " the current cabinet aims at maintaining the internal stability."
"The last parliamentary sessions proved that both the "March 8" majority and the "March 14" opposition agree on stability and reject the smuggling of arms to Syria through the Lebanese-Syrian borders," Berri told Feltman.
The Speaker further hailed the Lebanese army's role in this context.
GLU Strike Breached, Gov't Might Meet
On the internal Lebanese scene, the General Labor Union scheduled Thursday strike was breached by several unions that decided not to join the strike.
In this context, the Head of the Secondary Teachers Associations Hanna Gharib told "as-Safir" that "the association didn't call for a strike and it's not concerned with it."
For his part, head of the "Teachers Syndicate" Nehme Mahfoud rejected "attempts to exploit the Lebanese people in disputes between the political powers."
In parallel, the Lebanese government decided Wednesday to delay the financial items on its agenda, on top of which is the LL8.9 trillion extra-budgetary spending - until the ministerial meeting on Thursday.
However, "as-Safir" reported that the "government will not hold its session because Prime Minister Najib Mikati will be busy receiving Feltman, and signing agreements with the Iranian top official Rahimi."
Among other items, the Cabinet approved Wednesday was the amendment of a draft law related to wage and salary increases in the public sector for employees who ended their service in the late 1990s.
Meanwhile, the PM hailed "the Lebanese Army's security achievement resembled by seizing the arms shipment in Lebanon's Northern territorial waters."
"The achievement is an implementation of the decisions of the political authority and an evidence on the Lebanese army's readiness and its permanent vigilance that is aimed to preserve security and forbid any sort of trafficking operations," Mikati stressed.
Source: Lebanese dailies, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
