Report: French intelligence chief in Beirut along with 5 officials
Bernard Émié -- the Director of France’s General Directorate for External Security, France's main external intelligence agency -- is in Beirut along with five French officials on a secret visit, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Tuesday.
“They will leave today and it is not known why they came and whether they have met with security, diplomatic or political officials, but it is likely that Émié’s mission is a continuation of (French envoy Jean-Yves) Le Drian’s tour,” prominent sources told the daily.
“The sources believe that the man came carrying the same message (of Le Drian), especially that Israeli media outlets had revealed days ago that Tel Aviv has recruited Paris to work against Hezbollah,” al-Akhbar added.
“Le Drian came (to Lebanon) as a representative of the quintet (the U.S., France, Egypt, Qatar and KSA) in addition to Israel, carrying the demands of implementing Resolution 1701 and creating a buffer zone in south Lebanon between the Litani River and the Blue Line, in order to reassure of the residents of the northern settlements in occupied Palestine, who fear returning to their settlements due to Hezbollah’s presence on the border,” the newspaper said.
The sources added that Émié’s visit is part of “the accumulation of pressures on Lebanon and the resistance to rearrange the situation of the border area, whose return to the pre-October 7 situation will be difficult.”
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