Reports: Suleiman Didn”t Ask U.S. to Cross Out 1559, Murr to Discuss U.S. Military Aid during February Visit
High-ranking U.S. administration officials have said that President Michel Suleiman hasn”t asked his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama to cross out U.N. Security Council resolution 1559.
A high-ranking source told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published Wednesday that the Obama-Suleiman meeting at the White House lauded "commitment to all international resolutions, including 1559."
The source added that during the talks on Monday "it wasn”t asked for the withdrawal of resolution 1559" from circulation.
Another high-ranking official at the White House also told As Safir newspaper that "the conversation between Obama and Suleiman didn”t deal with the issue of making resolution 1559 invalid."
The Lebanese have been calling for withdrawing 1559 from circulation because the cabinet policy statement has clearly stated that the issue of Hizbullah arms would be dealt with on the national dialogue table.
"Of course the national dialogue is important in achieving the objective of this resolution in disarming militias," the official told As Safir.
A State Department official also said that the U.S. administration was working through the United Nations to push for the implementation of resolutions on Lebanon including 1701, 1559 and 1680.
Another U.S. official told As Safir that Defense Minister Elias Murr will follow up the "positive and constructive dialogue" between Washington and Beirut over military aid during his visit to Washington in February.
Murr”s visit "will determine the nature of equipment that Lebanon would get in the upcoming stage," the official said.