Tornado Alley (PROG)

[Lebaneseproud]

US Diplomatic Source to Naharnet: Hizbullah Practicing Blackmail, No Other Party is Threatening Violence
The United States continues to be in favor of efforts that lead to greater stability in Lebanon, but any efforts to insure stability in Lebanon must never be at the expense of its sovereignty and political independence, a U.S. diplomatic source has said.

The source told Naharnet that "Lebanon should not be forced to choose between justice and stability; it deserves both."

"Any deal structured this way is not in the long-term interests of Lebanon. As we have repeatedly said, Lebanon's security, stability, and sovereignty are not negotiable," the U.S. source added.

On Tuesday Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun announced that the Syrian-Saudi initiative to solve the Lebanese crisis "reached a dead end."

Aoun said that the Hizbullah-led March 8 camp "has always been positive regarding any inter-Lebanese solution."

"We gave the Arab initiative enough time … we will start an inter-Lebanese initiative," the FPM leader announced.

The U.S. diplomatic source told Naharnet that "there is now universal recognition that Lebanon's problems must be solved by the Lebanese themselves."

"Efforts to bring greater stability to Lebanon must be done with respect to Lebanon's sovereignty and the full participation of Lebanon's leaders.

"Saudi officials have told us that they are absolutely committed to helping to foster a positive relationship between Syria and Lebanon, one that is based on mutual respect and the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of the other," the source added.

The diplomat stressed that Washington was "supportive of such a goal."

"We did not discourage the Saudis in their efforts with the Syrians, for any more details I refer you to the Saudi or Syrian governments," the U.S. diplomatic source added.

Turning to Hizbullah and its allies, the source said they "have fabricated political crises in Lebanon, dangerously increasing political tensions through escalating rhetoric."

"Essentially, Hizbullah and its allies have been offering to remove the problems that they themselves created, in exchange for the subversion of the rule of law in Lebanon. This is blackmail, plain and simple. No other parties, other than Hizbullah, are making threats of violence," the source added.






http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/getstory?openform&BB432FDE622C9BE5C2257816005AE69A