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U.S. buys Mikati? Clinton warns US requires Lebanon neutrality so it can effectivley meddle in Syrian Affairs

by Courtesy

U.S. warns Mikati over Syria sanctions
September 27, 2011 – By Mirella Hodeib -The Daily Star

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Najib Mikati told U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Lebanon will fulfill its international obligations Monday, while Clinton cautioned Mikati against becoming involved in the situation in Syria.

“We discussed the many international obligations that Lebanon has and the prime minister assured me that Lebanon would always fulfill [its] international obligations,” Clinton told reporters following a meeting with Mikati at the office of the president of the U.N. Security Council in New York.

She also vowed that the U.S. would continue providing assistance to the Lebanese Army.

Mikati told The Daily Star that the U.S. administration was “understanding” and aware of the peculiar nature of Lebanese politics.

“They showed understanding for our situation and the most important thing for them is that Lebanon keeps a neutral stance,” he added, in reference to events in Syria.

Echoing Mikati, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said Clinton expressed to the Lebanese prime minister the U.S. administration’s understanding of Lebanon’s “very delicate situation.”

“The secretary reiterated our strong commitment to Lebanon, our understanding that Lebanon is in a very delicate situation and our support for Lebanon’s unity, Lebanon’s stability, and Lebanon’s sovereignty,” said the former U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.

“We also cautioned the prime minister that Lebanon needs to be very, very careful in not getting caught up in the unrest in Syria, in terms of not allowing Lebanon to be a way for Syria to evade sanctions and accountability for the brutality that the Syria government is showing against its people,” he said.

According to a statement circulated by Mikati’s media office, the prime minister informed the U.S. delegation that his government was working on “promoting stability in Lebanon and safeguarding it against the negative repercussions of events in the region.”
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