US State Department Pays Mikati Unannounced Visit
October 25, 2011The US State Department paid Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati a unannounced late-night visit after Hizbullah arch-terrorist Hassan Nasrallah on Monday publicly declared his March 8 coalition allies would ensure Beirut did not meet its obligations to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jacob Walles, accompanied by US Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly, met with Prime Minister Najib Mikati in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Talks focused on the current situation in Lebanon and the region, as well as bilateral relations between the two countries. Of particular discussion was Mikati’s promise of funding for the STL, which his Hizbullah-dominated cabinet has vowed to obstruct at all costs.
Lebanon has come under intense pressure from the US and its western allies, who have threatened “serious consequences” should Beirut fail to pay its part of the Hague-backed STL’s costs. The STL is tasked with investigating the 2005 assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
Earlier this year, the STL indicted four known Hizbullah terrorists for the Hariri assassination, which Nasrallah responded to by vowing never to hand his men over for trial and insinuating the Hague-backed court is a “zionist plot.”
The STL has since launched a new series of inquiries into several political assassinations in which Hizbullah is the prime suspect.
Nasrallah has called for a Cabinet vote on the divisive issue of STL votes knowing he commands a majority of the votes, saying if the matter persists it will destabilize the government. Mikati’s five month old government has already faced a series of monthly cabinet crises, most of them related to the STL.
During his Walles is expected to meet with Mikati ally President Michel Sleiman, and other Lebanese officials.
Similar posts
-
Israel Is Held To A Higher Standard Than Any Country
April 25, 2024In the intricate tapestry of global affairs, one nation stands out for enduring scrutiny and condem...
-
Israel Has The Most Moral Military In The World
April 10, 2024In the heart of a region often riddled with conflict, Israel stands out not only for its technologi...
-
The Resilience of the Israeli People
April 2, 2024Visitors from around the world have seen Hamas's October 7th Massacre's destruction in southern Isr...
-
Israel: Small Size, Big Impact
March 21, 2024Nestled along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Israel is a land of immense historical sig...
-
Israelis Are Fighting For Their Lives
February 21, 2024By Jonathan S. Tobin The world looks a lot different from Kibbutz Kfar Aza than it does in the U...
-
Over 2 Million Arabs Live In Israel
January 23, 2024In the complex landscape of the Middle East, where diverse cultures and identities intersect, Israe...
-
'Fauda' Star Idan Amedi Injured Fighting in Gaza
January 8, 2024Despite the severity of his injuries, Amedi's father assured Israeli news channels that his life is...
-
Israel Is A Great Country To Live In
December 28, 2023Nestled at the crossroads of the Middle East, Israel stands as a vibrant and dynamic nation, offeri...