BEIRUT: Prime Minister Tammam Salam Friday praised the U.S.-led international coalition to fight terrorism, but urged friendly and brotherly states to insulate Lebanon from regional conflicts, implicitly rejecting any role for his country in the coalition.
Addressing the U.N. General Assembly, Salam reaffirmed the government’s resolve to free at least 21 Lebanese soldiers and policemen still held hostage by ISIS and Nusra Front militants and protect the country in the face of growing security threats.
Before delivering his speech, Salam met in New York with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry with whom he discussed developments in the Middle East and the situation in Lebanon, the National News Agency reported. The meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil.
Kerry underscored to Salam “the United States’ firm commitment to Lebanon’s security and stability at a time when Lebanon is facing many challenges,” according to a senior State Department official.
“The two leaders also discussed their continued partnership, and Secretary Kerry reiterated U.S. support for Prime Minister Salam’s government and for the Lebanese people. The secretary also emphasized the importance that Lebanon have a new President in office very soon,” the senior official added.
Kerry commended Salam for Lebanon’s own efforts to combat ISIS within its borders and noted U.S. expedited military assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces to help cope with the ISIS threat.
Kerry praised Lebanon’s support for efforts to counter ISIS, including its participation at the Jeddah meeting earlier this month and its signing of the Jeddah communique that endorsed the creation of the U.S.-led coalition to fight terrorism.
Kerry also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to assisting with the humanitarian crisis in Syria, which has had drastic implications for Lebanon.
To date, the United States has provided $500 million to Lebanon alone to help deal with the burden of refugees and the strains on host communities.
Salam’s meeting with Kerry came ahead of the International Support Group for Lebanon, which was co-chaired late Friday by Salam and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The Lebanese prime minister also met shortly after midnight with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
On the sidelines of the General Assembly meetings, Bassil had talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallam, in the first high-level meeting between officials of the two countries in a long time since bilateral ties were strained over the war in Syria.
Referring to the anti-terror coalition, Salam said in his speech: “The attempts currently being made to mobilize international efforts to confront terrorist groups reflect the international community’s awareness of the gravity of what our region has been witnessing for years and the need to quickly put out the raging fire and prevent its spread.”
“While underlining the significance of regional and international cooperation to fight terrorism and welcoming the resolutions issued by the Security Council in this respect, the latest resolutions, 2170 and 2178, Lebanon calls on its brothers and friends in the world to safeguard it, insulate it from regional conflicts and provide it with and the elements of strength,” the premier added.
Salam’s speech came three days after Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah warned Lebanon against joining the anti-terror coalition, arguing that America was not qualified to lead such a coalition because it is “the mother of terrorism.”
Referring to a wave of car bombings and suicide attacks that targeted the Lebanese Army and areas in Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Bekaa Valley where Hezbollah enjoys big support early this year and last year, Salam said: “ Lebanon was subjected to a savage terrorist assault by criminal and dark groups that carried out attacks on several Lebanese areas that resulted in the death of civilians and military, in addition to enormous material losses.”
Referring to ISIS and Nusra Front militants who briefly took over the northeastern town of Arsal last week and battled the Lebanese Army for five days, Salam said: “The terrorists last month were able to kidnap a number of the Army and security forces members and held them captive in order to exert pressure on the Lebanese state and blackmail it.”
“With the aim of escalating the pressure, these gangs have brutally killed three of the innocent captives,” he said.
The prime minister added that the beheading of two soldiers by ISIS and the killing of a third by Nusra Front had obstructed the indirect negotiations to secure the release of the hostages.
“I would like to confirm here that our option is not to back off from our firm stance to free the soldiers, preserve the state’s prestige and protect its security and the sovereignty of its territory,” Salam said.
He added that the Lebanese people, in their battle against terrorism, stood united with the armed forces, which are “the main cornerstone to protect national sovereignty and guarantee security and civil peace.”
“Our government is seeking to muster the necessary support for these forces in order to enable them to carry out their mission in the fullest manner,” Salam said.
ISIS and Nusra militants kidnapped dozens of servicemen during their brief takeover of Arsal.
They have released seven hostages but are still holding at least 21 soldiers and policemen. They have demanded the release of Islamist detainees in Roumieh Prison for the hostages.
Salam urged the international community to help Lebanon cope with “nearly 1.5 Syrian refugees,” more than one-third of the country’s population before the crisis in the neighboring country.
“This huge number of refugees constitutes a big pressure on the Lebanese infrastructure, which is already suffering from structural problems, putting strain on schools, the health sector and the labor market as well on the national economy,” he said.
