Hale Says Unacceptable for a 'Militia' to Dig Border Tunnels, Have Missile Arsenal
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale announced after talks with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Monday that it is “unacceptable” for a “militia” to “dig tunnels” across the border or have an arsenal of thousands of missiles, referring to Hizbullah.
"It is unacceptable to have a militia outside the control of the state, and unanswerable to all the people of Lebanon, digging attack tunnels across the Blue Line into Israel and assembling an arsenal of over 100,000 missiles with which to threaten regional stability," he said.
Noting that “only the Lebanese people and their state” should make decisions of peace and war, Hale vowed that Washington will seek to curb Iran's activities in the region and Lebanon, “including the financing of proxy terrorist organizations such as Hizbullah.”
Turning to the issue of the stalled cabinet formation process, Hale said “the choice of government belongs to Lebanon alone.”
"The international community is closely watching the status of Lebanon's government," Hale added.
The U.S. official also said that the U.S. encourages "the caretaker government to move forward where it can, especially on the economy, to avoid further damage and maintain international confidence."
"Crucial economic reforms languish while obstructionism drags down the economy, endangering the country," he warned.
On Twitter, the U.S. embassy in Beirut said Hale “underscored in his meeting with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri at the Center House strong U.S. support and commitment to Lebanon and its people on its path towards a more prosperous and secure future.”
Source: Naharnet
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