Lebanese leaders agree to back army

Rival political leaders meeting at the first National Dialogue session in over 18 months agreed Monday to provide support to the Lebanese Army both financially and morally and to prevent the establishment of a buffer zone along the border with Syria. President Michel Sleiman set June 25 for the next session of the dialogue. “[Leaders agreed to] support the army on both the moral and financial levels given that it is the only institution capable of preserving civil peace,” a statement issued following the rare talks held at Baabda Palace under the auspices of Sleiman. They also agreed to devote efforts so that the army and the rest of the country’s legitimate security forces would carry out its duties in “emergency security incidents.” Speaker Nabih Berri, Mikati, former President Amin Gemayel, former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Progressive Socialist Partly head MP Walid Jumblatt, Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun were among the 17 figures to sit down at the National Dialogue table in the palace’s November 22 hall. The National Dialogue, set against the backdrop of growing concern over Lebanon’s stability, holds hopes of defusing growing tension in the country. The rival politicians agreed during the session to distance Lebanon from regional and international conflicts and prevent the establishment of a buffer zone in the country. “[Leaders agreed] about the keenness to control the situation along the Lebanese-Syrian border and prevent the creation of a buffer zone in Lebanon or use Lebanon as a pathway, headquarters, or an area of smuggling arms or armed men,” the final statement said. At the beginning of the session, which started at 11.15 a.m., Sleiman highlighted the importance of holding intra-Lebanese dialogue given the recent events in north Lebanon and called for setting a date for an upcoming session that would be held in 10 to 15 days at the latest. He added that the unrest in neighboring Syria also necessitated the resumption of dialogue. Monday's agenda, the president said, would cover the national defense strategy that would benefit from Hezbollah's arsenal, arms inside Palestinians camps and other non-state weapons across the country. The statement also highlighted the need to resort to dialogue in order to calm the security and political situation in the country and strengthen the pillars of stability and civil peace. It also urged citizens not to resort to "arms and violence regardless of the concern they hold." Mikati also spoke during the session when he explained his government’s policy of disassociating itself from regional events, particularly the unrest in Syria. He said the policy, a point of contention in the country, preserved stability and prevented turmoil from spilling over into Lebanon. Gemayel, one of several to talk during talks, stressed on the importance of holding dialogue and said Lebanon should not be dragged into to any external conflicts. Unlike previous sessions, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea were absent from Monday's session. Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah has not attended National Dialogue sessions since 2006 due to security reasons. Another major absentee this year was former minister and lawmaker Ghassan Tueni, the veteran journalist, politician, diplomat and publisher of An-Nahar newspaper, who died Friday at age 86. The late Tueni was one of the National Dialogue Committee’s members who represented the Greek Orthodox community. The Lebanese Forces, a main pillar in the March 14 coalition, was the only major party that refrained from attending the session. It argues that the talks will not help solve lingering problems facing the country and will not address the divisive issue of Hezbollah’s arms. Although expectations of achieving concrete results to resolve the country’s deepening political crisis are low, there are some hopes that the session will help defuse mounting tensions resulting from the 15-month-old unrest in neighboring Syria. The last dialogue session held in November 2010 was boycotted by Hezbollah, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and their March 8 allies amid a dispute with the government over the issue of “false witnesses” linked to the U.N. probe of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. The first National Dialogue session was convened by Berri on March 2, 2006. Prior to the session, Sleiman met separately with Mikati and Berri at his Baabda office.