Haaretz: Miqati Doesn’t Represent Hizbullah or Iran, But he is a Personal Friend of Assad

The Israeli Haaretz stated on Wednesday that Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati does not represent Hizbullah or Iran, but he is a close personal friend of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

It added that his appointment enjoyed France, the United States, Syria, and Saudi Arabia’s support, noting that the Saudi-Syrian initiative that had been devised to end Lebanon’s political crisis had “obviously” been rejected.

Furthermore, the paper stated that former Prime Minister Saad Hariri is still studying the possibility of joining a government headed by Miqati, probably under Saudi Arabian and Syrian pressure, despite his previous announcement that he would refuse to do so.

Addressing the possibility of Miqati eliminating the Lebanese government’s relation to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Haaretz reported that should he do so, he would justify it by saying that Hariri had at one point, and under certain conditions, advocated such a move.

In addition, Hizbullah is waiting for Miqati to prove himself on the Lebanese political scene, because it considers any prime minister to be a good one as long as he fulfills the party’s demands, it continued.

The report concluded that Lebanon will not suddenly become “more Iranian”, but it may become “more Syrian” as the Arab state does not want Iran to expand its influence in the region.