Qahwaji Heads to Riyadh to Participate in Meeting against ISIL

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji will travel to Saudi Arabia next week to attend a meeting for military leaders from more than 20 partner nations in a U.S.-led coalition to degrade and destroy Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

According to An Nahar newspaper published on Friday, the meeting is a follow up for the first one that was held in Washington last year.

The high-ranking talks will be held on Wednesday and Thursday.

Qahwaji will reportedly hold sideline talks with several chiefs of staff for Armed Forces and senior Saudi officials.

In October, the army commander attended a similar meeting in Washington for senior commanders from more than 20 Western and Arab allies involved in the campaign to defeat jihadists.

However, Qahwaji's participation sparked a debate in Lebanon as the officials are divided whether to take part in the coalition or not.

Lebanon first joined the coalition when Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil attended talks in Jeddah in September during which ten Arab countries agreed to help the U.S. in its fight against the Islamic State.

After Bassil's return from Jeddah, some officials began claiming that Lebanon is not part of the coalition over fears that warplanes would carry out strikes in the country in violation of its sovereignty.

Since August, the Lebanese army has been fighting militants from the IS and al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front near the border with Syria. Earlier that month, the extremists crossed into the northeastern town of Arsal from Syria, capturing soldiers and policemen. Four of the soldiers have since been executed.

H.K.

G.K.