Washington (AFP) – With Israeli sabotage and military operations in Lebanon Eliminating several senior Hezbollah leadersSome in Washington and elsewhere believe there may be an opportunity for a new attempt to break the political deadlock in Lebanon to try to ease the escalating war.
To this end, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke separately by phone Friday with acting Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabhi Berri about the need to resolve the situation, the State Department said.
Earlier in the week, Blinken spoke with his Saudi, Qatari and French counterparts about how a decision – particularly the election of a new Lebanese president – could reduce… Tensions in the Middle East By convincing Hezbollah to move its forces away from Israel's northern border to the designated line United Nations Security Council resolution Ending the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
“It is clear that the people of Lebanon have an interest, a strong interest, in the country asserting itself and taking responsibility for the country and its future,” Blinken told reporters on Friday in Laos. He added: “The presidency has been vacant for two years, and for the Lebanese people, the presence of a head of state will be very important.”
He said that Lebanon's future is decided by its people and not by anyone else, including “any external party, whether it is the United States, Israel, or any of the many actors in the region.”
The United States and others have been pressing for years to put an end to this problem Political stalemate in Lebanon But to no avail. The country's sectarian power-sharing system has always been prone to gridlock. The United States blames the two-year presidential vacuum on resistance to the settlement by Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is considered a legitimate political party in Lebanon and has been part of its government for nearly two decades despite being designated a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel. And others.
After ex period President Michel Aoun Elections ended in October 2022, and Lebanon's deeply divided parliament met several times to elect a successor and failed each time. Hezbollah supports Suleiman Franjieh, a Christian politician allied with the Shiite group.
The opposition faction has put forward a series of names, but the man widely seen as Franjieh's main rival – although he has not officially announced his candidacy – is Lebanese army commander General Joseph Aoun, who is generally seen as close to the United States.
Meanwhile, political paralysis worsened and measures to mitigate A A stifling economic crisis It led to three-quarters of the population falling into poverty.
But now, US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the Biden administration's current thinking, say there may be Motion window Following the recent deterioration of the armed group at the hands of Israel.
This view is not universally accepted in Washington, where some officials believe that Hezbollah is so entrenched in the Lebanese political scene, its army, and its civil and social bodies that its influence cannot be eliminated. However, officials said even skeptics are willing to try it.
He also made his way Home from LaosBlinken spoke with Mikati and Berri to stress the importance of stabilizing the political crisis.
Blinken stressed the United States’ commitment to a diplomatic solution to implement the United Nations resolution, allowing civilians on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border to return to their homes, and “the necessity of filling the presidential vacancy through democratic means that reflect the will of the Lebanese.” The Foreign Ministry said in almost identical statements: “People for a stable, prosperous and independent Lebanon.”
The top American diplomat said the same thing in discussions last week with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Thani, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
“What I understand from these talks is a strong desire not only on the part of many countries interested in Lebanon, but especially on the part of the Lebanese themselves to see the country actually stand up, assert itself, and take responsibility for the lives of the Lebanese.” “Its citizens,” Blinken said earlier from Laos.
American officials said he is expected to attend an international conference on Lebanon hosted by France later this month.
The UN resolution, the terms of which have not been fully implemented, calls for Israeli forces to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon after a month-long war with Hezbollah in 2006, while the Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping forces will be the exclusive armed presence in the region.
Ed Gabriel, head of the US Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit organization aimed at building stronger relations between the United States and Lebanon, said the group has great respect for Aoun, the Lebanese army commander, and his “leadership of the only fully functioning institution in Lebanon.” “.
Gabriel said: “We do not believe that it is in Lebanon’s interest for external parties to influence the country’s sovereign right to elect its president.” “There is an opportunity now for Lebanese parliamentarians to meet and elect a clean, competent, reform-minded president who can form a government that can lead Lebanon through a dangerous but critical phase.”
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Associated Press writer Abby Sewell contributed from Beirut, Lebanon.
