- Wikileaks citing Bassil: Kidnapping of Israeli soldiers was a mistake
A cable leaked from the U.S. embassy in Beirut on 09/12/2006 and posted on the Wikileaks website as cable number 3801 revealed that Energy Minister Gebran Bassil said that the kidnapping of the Israeli soldiers and the ensuing 2006 war were Hezbollah’s mistake.
According to the same document published by “al-Mustaqbal” newspaper, Gebran told the Americans that he does not care if Hezbollah walks out on the Change and Reform bloc in case the latter pressured the party to give up its arms. “We don’t care, we don’t need them”, he said.
On the fact that Hezbollah broke its promise to ensure a calm summer in 2006, Bassil said that the party can only be trusted when addressing the Lebanese people directly, and not when addressing the national dialogue table.
According to the cable, Bassil told a US official on 8/12/2006 that he and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun refused Hezbollah’s campaigns against the U.S. and do not allow for anti-US speeches to be made in their presence.
“The Free Patriotic Movement is Washington’s best friend in Lebanon, always watching over U.S.interests”, Bassil said.
- Moallem hands Ban Ki-Moon complete file on Syria
“Al-Watan” newspaper reported that Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moallem is expected to address the U.N. General Assembly next Tuesday, adding that he will hand U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon a complete file on the latest incidents in Syria and the real factors that triggered them.
“Moallem is expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings including a meeting with Syrianforeign minister Sergei Lavrov”, the newspaper added.
- Mansour: Lebanon back on diplomatic scene
Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour told “An-Nahar” newspaper that the Lebanese diplomatic week in New York gave Lebanon back its presence and its critical, effective and positive role in the support of the Palestinian case, according to both speeches by President Michel Sleiman at the U.N. General Assembly and the U.N. Security Council.
“This month’s Security Council President Ambassador Nawaf Salam called for a consultation session on Monday to form a committee charged with discussing the Palestinian statehood bid and request for a full U.N. membership”, Mansour said.
“I impartially explained the situation in Syria to the ministers I met with in New York, not only on thepolitical level, but on the economic level as well”, Mansour said.
- Mansour meets Moallem in New York
Lebanese foreign minister Adnan Mansour met with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem,his assistant Faisal al-Mekdad and the Syrian delegate to the U.N. Bashar Jaafari in New York on Saturday, according to “An-Nahar” newspaper.
Mansour and Moallem mentioned the contacts that are being held after the Palestinian president submitted an application for full membership at the United Nations.
They touched on the situation in the region, and stressed the importance of the international presence at the U.N. Security Council to vote on Palestine’s membership, according to sources close to the Lebanese delegation.
On the Syrian internal level, Moallem said the situation in Syria has improved substantially, and then submitted the reforms and practical steps the Syrian leadership is intending to carry out in the next few months.
The sources added that Mansour was confident the Syrian government will overcome the current crisis by heeding its people’s aspirations. “The Syrian leadership needs its friends and brothers to help it carry out reforms”, Mansour said.
Mansour also held a meeting with his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini where they discussedthe UNIFIL’s work. Frattini assured that his country will take back the UNIFIL’s command whenthe current Spanish mandate comes to an end.