Feltman voices admiration for friend and foe alike

 

Departing US Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman has expressed a personal commitment to Lebanon in a way that he described as unprecedented, while also expressing his admiration of the Lebanese people. In an interview with An-Nahar newspaper published Wednesday, Feltman said: “During 22 years of diplomatic work, I have never been impressed by people”s hospitality and friendship as I did in Lebanon.”

 

“I am not referring to those who share with me the same political opinion, I am even impressed by those who do not do so and who have always received me warmly,” he said. “Speaking of the Lebanese hospitality is a cliche but all diplomats who serve in Lebanon fall in love with this country. You have fascinated us all … Lebanon is a beautiful country.”

 

Asked about the current situation, the ambassador said that Lebanon was facing “very big” challenges on different levels, particularly the political and economic ones.

 

“However,” he added, “the Lebanon I am about to leave enjoys an international partnership that is much stronger than ever.”

 

“Never in the history of this country has the entire world focused on Lebanon as Lebanon,” he added. “In a nutshell, we can say that Lebanon has attracted the world”s attention in a very unique way.”

 

Feltman said he felt surprised by the extent to which the Lebanese rely on the outside to find solutions.

 

“I understand this now after I examined a history loaded with foreign interference and after I talked to people here,” he said. “But I have never expected that a certain Lebanese party seeks foreign support to help it against another Lebanese party.”

 

The ambassador also expressed his surprise over the “impudence” of some parties who ignore or surpass constitutional institutions.

 

“I do not understand how Parliament can be closed for more than a year, neither do I understand the interest of any party in having the legislature deprived of its characteristic as an arena for discussion over serious issues,” Feltman said.
 

According to him, the Lebanese leaders he had met with were all “national.”

 

“I am talking about leaders of different political stands and not only the March 14 Forces. They all honestly believe that they are working in favor of their country,” he said.

 

“Some of my toughest meetings have been with those accused of being the closest to us,” he added. “They were really tough with me when it comes to Lebanese interests and when they find that the US policy did not serve those interests.”

 

Asked about his best and worst memories during his three-and-a-half years of diplomatic service in Lebanon, Feltman said the worst were the summer 2006 war as well as the assassinations and assassination attempts.

“One of the greatest memories was seeing the Lebanese all together in the March 14, 2005, revolution,” he said.

 

As for his future mission, Feltman said he would return to the US State Department in Washington after 15 years of work outside the United States to be David Welch”s first assistant in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.

“I am sure this will not please all the Lebanese, but I will continue to work for the US-Lebanese partnership,” the ambassador said.

 

Tackling his personal life, Feltman said he became a diplomat “coincidentally.”

 

“I have studied art at first before going into the diplomatic field,” he said. “I felt at the time that I like interacting with others and recognizing their culture. After the end of my art studies, I majored in international relations following my failure in my first admission test to the US State Department.

 

“Two years later, I sat for the same exam and passed it.”