Lebanese Puzzled Over Miqati’s Role in Arab League Decision but PM Clarifies his Stance

Four days after Lebanon voted against an Arab League decision to suspend Syria’s membership, the role that Premier Najib Miqati played in that decision was still unclear.

Diplomatic and ministerial sources said in remarks to several dailies on Wednesday that Miqati told Saudi Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah during a phone conversation that Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour “violated his instructions” and voted against the Arab League measure.

“Mansour did not consult with the prime minister,” the ministerial sources said.

However, the newspapers quoted Miqati as telling a cabinet session on Tuesday that Mansour had “coordinated” with the premier and President Michel Suleiman the Lebanese stance but when he went to Cairo he was “surprised” by a draft resolution that hadn’t been announced before.

At this point, the minister called Miqati and Suleiman stressing that Lebanon would come under “pressure” if it doesn’t object to the decision, the PM told the ministers.

So, both the president and the PM agreed with Mansour to vote against the decision, he said.

Miqati’s remarks to Arab and foreign ambassadors in the past two days were also inconsistent, the sources said.

“I was surprised just like the others,” the premier reportedly told Gulf Cooperation Council diplomats.

But British Ambassador Tom Fletcher said after holding talks with Miqati at the Grand Serail that the Lebanese PM explained to him “the unique pressures faced by Lebanon on this issue.”

“Nevertheless, I underlined our disappointment at Lebanon’s position at the Arab League meeting,” Fletcher said.

The 22-member League decided on Saturday to suspend Syria over its crackdown on protests. Only Syria, Lebanon and Yemen did not support its suspension.

But Miqati’s office said on Wednesday that his only official stance on the Arab League vote was the one expressed during the cabinet session.

“The Lebanese stance at the Cairo meeting was taken after intensive consultations that took into the consideration the Lebanese interest first,” the press office said in a statement.

It reiterated that Lebanon’s vote against the League’s decision was only on the suspension of Syria’s membership and not the invitation to stop the violence.