Report: Hariri 'Dispatches Khoury' to Meet Geagea

Prime Minister Saad Hariri decided to “delay breaking ties” with his longtime allies, mainly the Lebanese Forces, “covertly dispatching” his adviser and former Minister Ghattas Khoury to Maarab to meet LF chief Samir Geagea, al-Akhbar daily reported on Saturday.

Although Hariri wants to “leave the door open to attempts between the two parties to resolve the crisis,” but Khoury's meeting with Geagea did not “reap positive outcome,” said the daily.

However, informed sources told al-Akhbar that a meeting between Geagea and the Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri “will eventually happen.”

“Khoury paid Geagea a visit at his residence in Maarab, but the meeting was not positive and failed at resolving conflict issues,” unnamed sources close to the daily said.

“Relations between the two men are very sensitive but a meeting between them will sooner or later happen,” they added.

Hariri-Geagea ties have been reportedly strained lately.

Hariri had sparked a storm of speculation on Monday when he said that certain “political parties” had stabbed him in the back during the political crisis of his surprise resignation announcement from Riyadh.

“There are political parties that tried to find a place for them in this crisis by stabbing me in the back and I will deal with these cases, case by case, but I do not hold grudge against anyone,” Hariri had said.

But the PM later described his relation with the LF as “good” while noting that it needs “some clarifications.”