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lebanon_prime_minister_saad_hariri_puts_resignation_on_hold_-_the_washington_post.pdf |
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced today that he was shelving his decision to resign at the request of President Michel Aoun, temporarily easing the political crisis that has rocked the country since he abruptly quit during a trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this month after accusing Iran and Hezbollah of destabilizing the country. Aoun maintains that the Saudis forced Hariri's hand by holding him captive. “I presented today my resignation to President Aoun and he urged me to wait before offering it and to hold onto it for more dialogue about its reasons and political background, and I showed responsiveness,” Hariri said in a televised address. Before his return to Beirut on Tuesday, Hariri stopped by Egypt for talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Sisi, a Saudi ally, has declined to impose measures against Hezbollah, stressing the importance of preserving stability in Lebanon and the region. Read More
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s surprise resignation and Saudi Arabia's involvement could set in motion events that will negatively affect Hezbollah.
BY SPENGLER
The Crown Prince has set off a complex chain reaction of political moves that affect the region's political and economic stability
Saudi Arabia is hosting Syrian opposition groups in Riyadh today in a bid to unify the various factions ahead of UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva set to begin Nov. 28. The UN envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, urged the groups to undertake the “hard discussions” needed to reach a “common line.” However, negotiators still struggle to unite the Riyadh-based High Negotiations Committee (HNC) umbrella group with factions based in Moscow and Cairo, which take a softer line on the Bashar al-Assad regime. Despite mediation efforts from Saudi Arabia, the Moscow group has stated its unwillingness to fold into the HNC and is boycotting the summit. Adding to the disarray, the leader of the Saudi-backed HNC, Riad Hijab, abruptly resigned on Monday ahead of today’s summit. Read More
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