Report: Hadley Tells Geagea of Strong U.S. Commitment for Free Lebanon

U.S. National Security Advisor Steven Hadley has told Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea that the United States is strongly committed to help the Lebanese in building an independent state, An Nahar daily quoted a White House source as saying.

 

“The United States is still strongly committed to help the Lebanese people fulfill their dream of building a free, independent and prosperous state,” Hadley told Geagea in Washington on Monday, according to the source.

 

It said the talks touched on ways to help the Lebanese government achieve such goals and U.S. worries about “continuous efforts” by Syria and Hizbullah to “undermine” Premier Fouad Saniora”s cabinet.

 

The same source also told An Nahar”s correspondent in Washington that the Hadley-Geagea meeting “reflects our appraisal of him as a major March 14 movement leader.”

 

The LF said in a statement Monday that Geagea held talks at the White House with Hadley and Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs John Hannah.

 

It said Geagea and his accompanying delegation discussed among other issues the U.S. government”s support for the Saniora government, including military and economic aid.

 

A source close to the LF said that Geagea discussed with the U.S. officials the issues of the Shabaa Farms area and Lebanese prisoners held in Israeli and Syrian jails.

 

It said talks also focused on the status of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and the need for an official U.S. stance on the issue.

 

The delegation rejected the naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon, the source added.

 

Geagea is expected to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday, according to An Nahar.