Feltman”s Message to Syria: Lebanon is for the Lebanese
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said Friday he was carrying a clear message to Syria: "Lebanon is for the Lebanese."
"Our trip to Syria… is an opportunity for us to start addressing these concerns and using engagement as a tool to promote our objectives in the region," Feltman said after meeting President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Fouad Saniora.
"We”ll talk to the Syrians about many, many issues, but about Lebanon, the message is clear: The U.S. and the international community… all agree Lebanon is for the Lebanese," he added. "That”s the basic message."
"My visit here today underscores an important reality — the United States” support for a sovereign and independent Lebanon remains unwavering," the former U.S. ambassador to Lebanon said.
Feltman said Washington”s overtures to the Syrian regime were in line with the policy of new U.S. President Barack Obama engage states in the region, including its foes.
"The President has said he wants to sustain in principle engagement with all states in the region and that includes Syria," he went on to say.
Feltman stressed that Washington had a "long list" of concerns that he and fellow envoy Daniel Shapiro planned to discuss with Syrian officials when they meet at the weekend.
U.S. officials have repeatedly maintained that renewed ties with Syria, which for years held sway in Lebanese politics, would not be at the expense of Lebanon.
Since 2006, the United States has committed to giving 410 million dollars in military assistance to Lebanon as it seeks to bolster the government.
Feltman and Shapiro met upon arrival Thursday evening with parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri, the son and political heir of ex-premier Rafik Hariri, who was killed in a massive Beirut car bombing in 2005.
Their visit to Beirut ahead of a trip to Damascus was a message to Syria that there is no change in the American position toward Syria.
It was also a message to Damascus that the fundamental ground rules of the U.S. administration were still valid.
Feltman said it was appropriate to meet first with Hariri as the tribunal is in its first week of operation in The Hague.
"The United States welcomes this important step towards ending impunity for political assassinations in Lebanon and as a concrete sign that Lebanon”s sovereignty is non-negotiable," he said.
Feltman also hailed the June 7 parliamentary election in Lebanon.
"This will be an important milestone in Lebanese history," he said. "The United States will support the Lebanese authorities” efforts to ensure that they are free, fair, transparent and unmarred by political violence."