Wikileaks citing Mikati: Syria’s loyalists are not “in love with” President Sleiman“

PM Najib Mikati predicted a civil war in Lebanon if Nassib Lahoud became president”, “al-Mustaqbal” newspaper reported citing a leaked cable sent by the U.S. embassy in Beirut on 1/11/2007 and published on the “Wikileaks” website as cable number 1712.      

According to the same cable, Mikati also said that Syria’s loyalists are not “in love with” president Michel Sleiman, despite rumors.      

“MP Michel Aoun is still one of the main obstacles hindering any solution to the presidency issue”, Mikati said according to the leaked cable. “Aoun must ally with March 14 coalition in order to legitimize all presidential elections”.      

On solving the presidency problem in Lebanon, Mikati said “we can’t rely on the Arabs”.      

The cable mentioned a meeting held then between Jeffrey Feltman and Mikati on October 31st 2007 where Mikati refused the accusations hurled by Syria’s loyalists to the Lebanese presidential elections’ candidates: governor of the Bank of Lebanon Riyad Salameh, Minister of Justice Charl Rizk, MP Robert Ghanem, the former Head of the Lawyers' Syndicate Chakib Kortbawi and Army commander Michel Sleiman. Mikati said “these accusations lacked credibility”.