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Did Minister Lahoud Take Government Permission to Visit US?

Did Minister Lahoud Take Government Permission to Visit US?
folder_openLebanon access_time15 years ago
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Source: Al-Manar TV, 11-12-2008

What is State Minister Nassib Lahoud doing in Washington? Did he take the permission of the Lebanese "national unity" government before heading to the country of Uncle Sam and holding meetings with US officials? Why did the visit pass so calmly and smoothly in comparison with visits paid by Lahoud's colleagues in the cabinet to neighbor Syria?

Questions and questions are raised with regard to Lahoud's trip to Washington where he held a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and discussed various issues, at the top of which the "armament" of the Lebanese army. However, the visit, that came after another one paid by the head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt to the American capital, didn't create any chaos in Lebanon from the part of the "sovereignty" bloc, the one that can't stand anymore visits to Syria but doesn't feel perplexed with ongoing visits to the US administration, the administration that has always supported the Zionist terrorism and thus, collaborated in one sense or another in the "Israeli" 2006 war against Lebanon.

Nevertheless, Lahoud headed to the US where he held a meeting with Rice and praised from there what he called the US support for Lebanon. The Lebanese minister said that the US continued to support Lebanon in order to liberate the "Israeli"-occupied Shibaa Farms and Ghajar Village and prevent any regional changes at the expense of Lebanon.

He even went on to say that the US was still committed to implement its promises of supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces during the next few months. He assured his bloc that the new American administration's policy toward Lebanon will remain the same and is determined to support Lebanon's sovereignty and independence.

Lahoud classifies his visit to the US as a "private" one. However, his statement following his meeting with Rice doesn't seem to be a "private" one. Lahoud was indirectly speaking in the name of the Lebanese State. Furthermore, he tackled with Rice major national issues and causes including ways to weapon the Lebanese Army as well as the fate of the occupied Shibaa Farms.

While the so-called March 14 forces issued a few days ago an order for anyone wanting to visit Syria to request the government permission, Washington visit seems to become a lot easier. However, ministerial sources told Al-Manar that minister Lahoud did not inform the cabinet of his visit and therefore didn't even take its permission to speak in the name and on behalf of Lebanese. The sources revealed that the issue would be raised during the next cabinet session, especially after the chaos that was created by some parties following "official" visits to Syria.