Report: Foreign Countries Agree on 'Neutral' Cabinet to Replace Miqati's Govt.

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

High-ranking foreign diplomats agreed on Friday that stability in Lebanon is “crucial” for the Lebanese people and the international community as they reached consensus over the importance of the stepping down of Prime Minister Najib Miqati's cabinet and the formation of a neutral government.

“Miqati's government can't contribute to maintaining Lebanon's stability, it became part of the crisis, in particular, after the assassination of (Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam) al-Hasan last week,” U.S. Sources said in comments published in the Kuwaiti daily al-Rai.

According to the daily the U.S. diplomats reached this agreement with their French and Saudi counterparts.

“From a regional point of view, we have no fears over the situation in Lebanon, which is safeguarded currently by President Michel Suleiman,” the U.S. sources said.

“Even if Miqati resigned, Suleiman is the guarantee for safety as he will be able to form an alternative cabinet,” they added.

The United States and the European Union, both anxious to ward off any further Syrian interference in Lebanon, have separately warned against creating a political vacuum.

The diplomats said that the foreign countries “back for the premiership an official who isn't affiliated with any party, is not from the parliament and is a neutral figure.”

The sources stated that the important matter is to “safeguard Lebanon's security and halt the crisis in Syria from spilling into the country.”

The October 19 bombing has raised fears about unrest in the country, which is divided between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose country supervised its small neighbor for nearly 30 years.

The Ashrafiyeh bombing in Beirut that killed Hasan along with two others deepened the gap between the March 14 alliance and the March 8 camp.

The opposition insists on the resignation of the government as a main condition for the resumption of the national dialogue and official activity with their foes, while the leading coalition rejects the formation of a new cabinet on allegations that there's no alternative.

Comments 20
Thumb geha 26 October 2012, 08:48

mikati/hizbushaitan/fpm : go away!

Thumb hakawati 26 October 2012, 09:15

Power to Geagea the Ripper?
Power to Saniora who gained the most from the Hariri assassination?
Power to Hariri the bankrupt Saudi?

Missing greatpierro 26 October 2012, 09:44

This issue is not Geagea, Saniora or others. The issue is political plurality. M14 leading figures have systematically been assassinated in this country and Lebanese from all sides should deplore this as it is a blatant attempt to subdue this country, to put it on its knees and make it the servant of, I believe, Iran and Syria.

By asking for a plural government, M14 are saying enough. We need to be part of this country and not out of this country. Christian Aoun's followers should stop using empty slogans such as wahabis and salfis that are music to the HA but rather condemns all welcome the political plurality as it is the only guarantee for Lebanon future.

Missing peace 26 October 2012, 12:05

LOL syrian spokesman! hezbos were in sinioura s gvt, already forgot? but they wanted it to govern they way! they did all they could just to block it, forgot that too?

you are truly a stupid FPMer who pledge allegiance to a party not to your country....

Missing samiam 26 October 2012, 10:47

and it shouldn't involve syrian and iranian mercenaries and agents through the use of arms explicitly and implicitly outside the control of the state. Nor should it involve groups in the country who neither obey the laws of the country or feel that they are above the law because they claim they are a 'resisitance'.

Missing peace 26 October 2012, 12:03

yes samiam they are true resistants! they resist the lebanese laws and constitution....

Missing cedar_revolution 26 October 2012, 17:20

Neither Iran and Syria,,,idiot!!!

Thumb geha 26 October 2012, 09:50

funny comments from m8 guys :)
it is OK to have a one sided cabinet excluding at least half the Lebanese people, but it is not OK for a pluralist cabinet. it is like they are telling us: either m8 governs or sectarian strife and civil war.
Lebanon is for all Lebanese, and it si time for m8 to realize that especially after their failed cabinet.
anyway, traitors in the lebanese cabinet is no longer acceptable. only one agenda: lebanon, not syria and not iran.

Missing spartacus 26 October 2012, 11:36

Sorry guys, but this report is bullshit. The foreign community is supporting Miqati, rejecting this ridicuous attempt to throw the Gvmt. I know it for sure, I am personally involved. I am at least as credible as this "report". Besides, it's an old Fox News technique to spread disinformation quoting reports, rumors, commentators who depict a reality that is the opposite of reality.

M14 run out of ideas, after insulting Jumblatt. Now they try to suggest that the foreigners are with them. This is not accurate, and I am not sure that many Lebanese will be impressed by this anyway.

Thumb geha 26 October 2012, 15:45

spartacus
a pluralist government is not a national unity government.
as for your assertions and comments: they are not worth commenting.
this government will fall and sooner than you think.

Missing spartacus 26 October 2012, 11:52

And dear Geha, if pluralism and participation to Gvmt was SO IMPORTANT, you should have joined a national unity government in 2011. Miqati and all M8 political parties invited the opposition to take part into the government and have their blocking third. But no, people like you and Geagea were too snobish to cooperate with "traitor" Miqati, you believed that the opposition path would bring you success and victory. You have no strategy other than invoking foreign interference, because your credibility, with a opposition leader out of the country, is irremediably sinking. Now you tried to stage a coup by exploiting the assassination of General Hassan. It did not work either, you did not convince your own followers.

Missing peace 26 October 2012, 12:11

it is better to have a one sided gvt: we all see what M8 is capable of when governing! chaos, no reforms done as they shouted they ll do , nothing but barking....

Missing spartacus 26 October 2012, 12:22

Peace, there will be chaos only if M14 militamen will try to repeat their violence, maybe with the help of the FSA. They would fail.

Your capacity of mobilitation is minimal, and you could not control the crowd, because you have no leadership. Solve your problems, grow adult and then give a contribution to your Country.

So far, the Army did a good job, and the arrest of Smeha also thwarted a dangerous Syrian plot. The Government stays. Saad stays in Saudi Arabia. Amin.

Missing peace 26 October 2012, 12:33

first thing i am not M14 so useless to say you or your as if i was concerned;
M14 militiamen? why should it only be M14 that has a militia when M8 hezbos are the most powerfully armed and are backed by syria? only M14 represent a danger? lol!
seems you forgot hezbos and their capacity to take the streets in 5 minutes! and they are not a danger? and you compare the few clashes with all the dead caused by hezbos and psns in 2008? waw! M14 disagreed on the violences of that day remember?
that is typical of the propaganda of M8 : trying to demonize the others while they are allied with the demon!
you are so blind it seems!

Default-user-icon MeshFi (Guest) 26 October 2012, 16:19

Who cares what they agree. It's the Lebanese that must agree amongst themselves. That headline is the stuff that Hezb attacks.

Thumb chrisrushlau 26 October 2012, 17:27

Reminder. M8 got 55% of the popular vote and only 45% of Parliamentary seats in 2009 under the National-Pact/Taif-Accord/Doha-Agreement (who would agree to self-enslavement?). Hezbullah has every right to form the government all by itself, given that Shiites are by themselves more than half the population--and I am assuming they'd rather have Hezbullah, an effective government, than Mr. Berri, a warlord. In Lebanon, being a warlord means two things. You don't support central government, and you talk a lot without saying anything. But people expect leaders to lead.

Default-user-icon Phoebe Passodobles (Guest) 26 October 2012, 18:42

March 14, Foreign Countries Agree on Neutral... All the credit for this statement goes to your patriotic actions of attacking and beating policemen and soldiers of the state of the forces of evil of Miqati, the crazy Wilayat al-Faqih supporter, a killer and baaad monster who pretended to support Wissam al-Hassan and stood behind him instead of in front of him to protect him from the explosion. It is Miqati and not Hassan who was supposed to be gone because his job was to safeguard al-Hassan and all of March 14, the always-targeted perfectos. But men with gazillion dollars care less about us, little guys! I'm sure you will agree with me, you embodiment of Spartan warriors. Thanks March 14 for taking the lead in exposing and straightening up with the help of the good friends of Lebanon the evil doers who are destroying everybody who loves life and the Cedar Revolution! Long live Lebanon First. Long live March 14. God bless, my compatriots. Keep at it!

Default-user-icon Bubba (Guest) 26 October 2012, 19:58

Ha! Ha! How quickly the fools rush to make the changes in government that the enemies of Lebanon want.

One bomb and they run around like scared rats crying to change the government.

Stand fast Miquati, don't fold up like a house of cards in a little breeze! Thats what they want. A useless spineless "government of national unity"

Ha! Ha! You mean a "government of national surrender" dont you?

Lebanon was at peace and you weasels let a foreign power topple the government and put their people in place. Dummies deserve to be slaves.

Missing phillipo 26 October 2012, 22:58

"The Solution: Israel needs to concede to make peace. Conditions: Shebaa Farms (waiting for Syria on that), Natural Gas (EEZ), and the Fly over violations. These 3 conditions."
Has anyone actually asked the Lebanese Government if they are actually willing to sit down and talk with Israel about peace, with or without the conditions ?

Missing phillipo 26 October 2012, 23:01

Here we go again. You and your, Israel is to blame for everything that goes on in Middle East.
Grow up man, and start looking at things as they actually are, not as you would love to imagine them.