In the spotlight: Perspectives from Washington visitors on Lebanon's political scene

The Lebanese file moves on its two dimensions, security-military and political, in several local and regional directions. 

This article was originally published in and translated from the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Anbaa.

Al-Anbaa learned from visitors to the US capital (Washington), from MPs and other political figures, that "all the focus of those they met from officials in the US administration or the Senate and Congress, is on the importance of quickly restoring calm to the southern borders and Lebanon's commitment to the provisions of UN Resolution 1701."

The visitors said, "The resolution entrusts the authority to maintain security and stability in the area south of the Litani River to the Lebanese army and the international emergency forces operating in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL)."

"Lebanon's interest lies in the sovereignty of calm and stability in the south because the Israeli side has taken measures and preparations to carry out a deterrent military action on the Lebanese front, and the US side wants practical assurances from Lebanon regarding the assertion of its legitimate authority with UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon, and not just settling for verbal assurances," the sources added.

Moreover, the visitors indicated that regarding the presidential file, "the US side informed them that it will not intervene in the names of the presidential candidates, and Washington endeavors to try to reach a common denominator and a specific mechanism to elect a president."

The sources continued: "It is possible that the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf, will visit Lebanon, where she will have positions related to the south and the presidency, and she will give presidential signals to those Lebanese leaders concerned."

It was also learned "that the meeting of the Quintet Committee, which was likely to be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will be delayed until the results of the visit of the US envoy, Amos Hochstein, to both Israel and Beirut are known.

It is not unlikely that the French presidential envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, will visit Beirut before the Quintet meeting, especially after the initiative launched by the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, on Sunday, in which he revealed his agreement with the ambassadors of the Quintet on adopting consultation instead of dialogue as a means to mature the presidential understanding."