Wahhab Urges Bassil to Summon Kaag over 1701 Tweet

by Naharnet Newsdesk 13 February 2017, 15:14

Arab Tawhid Party chief ex-minister Wiam Wahhab on Monday urged Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil to “summon” U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag to the ministry to protest remarks he described as “insulting to the dignity of all Lebanese.”

“I call on FM Jebran Bassil to summon her and caution her about the need to respect diplomatic courtesy. As a U.N. employee, she has no right to criticize the president,” Wahhab tweeted, referring to President Michel Aoun.

In the wake of Aoun's remarks that defended Hizbullah's arms on Saturday, Kaag tweeted Monday that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 is “vital for Lebanon's stability and security.”

“Resolution calls for disarmament (of) all armed groups. No arms outside control of state,” Kaag added.

Aoun had stressed that Hizbullah's weapons “do not contradict with the State,” noting that it is “more than guaranteed” that the party will not “turn its arms inwards.”

“As long as there is Israeli-occupied land and as long as the army is not strong enough to fight Israel, we sense that there is a need for the presence of the resistance's arms so that they complete the army's weapons,” Aoun told Egypt's CBC television on the eve of a visit to Cairo.

Lebanon

Comments 6

justin 13 February 2017, 16:33

What is insulting to the dignity of the Lebanese is to have an ignorant person in that position make irresponsible statements when he swore to protect the constitution.

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gebran_sons 13 February 2017, 18:25

Beyond disgust of what this mercenary says! Any person with half a brain understands that no sovereign country exists without control of arms. Hizbollah is costing Lebanese economy hundred billion dollars in economic growth. Hizb is keeping multinationals away with their good paying jobs and creating a culture of subsidy and meager welfare. Worst, it is holding Lebanese Shia in bondage transforming them into the image of Iran's junta. Without Hizb, Lebanon would become the silicon valley of the Middle East, a hub for democracy, moderation, and intellectual vitality desperately needed in the region. As to Hizb 95% support among Shia, it is the same as Saddam or Kaddafi 95% support that suddenly disappear once their brutal regime was toppled.

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