Report: Saudi Ambassador Denies He Left Beirut
Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid al-Yaaqoubi on Wednesday denied reports alleging that he left Lebanon in a demur move following the declaration announced by the Lebanese Cabinet on the so-called dissociation policy, LBCI TV station reported.
In remarks made to the station, Yaaqoubi said without elaborating “the reports are only lies.”
Some media reports claimed that Yaaqoubi has left Lebanon in a surprise move as soon as Prime Minister Saad Hariri read the Cabinet statement on Tuesday which announced Lebanon's decision to commit to dissociation policy.
Saudi Arabia is believed to have pressured Hariri to step down last month in an audacious endeavor to rein in regional rival Iran.
When he announced he was stepping down, Hariri cited Iran's grip in the region and its Lebanese ally Hizbullah's involvement in regional crises.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the Lebanese cabinet reaffirmed their commitment to staying out of regional conflicts and apparently put an end to the month-long Hariri saga.
Source: Naharnet
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