Washington Links Heavy Weaponry to Implementation of 1701
The Obama administration has reportedly told President Michel Suleiman that the Lebanese army "should be stronger than all parties" but linked military assistance to Lebanon with Security Council Resolution 1701.
Sources informed about Suleiman”s visit to Washington told An Nahar newspaper that the U.S. showed readiness to continue securing aid to the Lebanese army.
The military "should be stronger than all parties," administration officials told the Lebanese delegation, according to the sources. But they hinted that it would be difficult to provide "heavy weaponry" to Lebanon in a clear reference to the need to implement 1701.
U.S. President Barack Obama also reportedly told Suleiman during their talks at the White House on Monday that any solution in the Middle East will not come at Lebanon”s expense.
The sources said the U.S. president reiterated that Washington "wants Lebanon free, sovereign, independent and strong."
The sources said in remarks published Wednesday that Suleiman and his accompanying delegation spent three hours at the White House. The two leaders held 30 minutes of closed door talks.
Suleiman also met Vice President Joe Biden for 30 minutes, according to the sources.
They told An Nahar that the Obama-Suleiman meeting was positive and there was openness on different issues despite disagreements in points of view.
Obama asked Suleiman on Monday to take action against arms smuggling into Lebanon which he said threatened Israeli security. "President Suleiman and I are not going to agree on every issue with respect to… Israel, Lebanon, the Palestinians and Syria," the U.S. president told reporters.
"What we do agree on is we can resolve these issues through dialogue and negotiations, rather than through violence," he added.
An Nahar”s sources said that the major difference in both men”s view was over Hizbullah”s arms and implementation of resolution 1701.
They said Suleiman urged Obama to pressure Israel into stopping violations of Lebanese sovereignty and withdrawing from the Shebaa farms area and Kfarshouba hills. In his turn, the U.S. president warned from the consequences of arms smuggling into Lebanon.
The Lebanese president returns to Beirut on Wednesday.