Lebanon’s participation in rebuilding Syria is forbidden, as a secret telegram from Washington to Beirut reveals

The Lebanese Al Akhbar newspaper received a copy of a confidential message sent by the Lebanese Embassy in Washington to Beirut, including the position of the United States, which rejects Syria’s invitation to the economic summit and is threatened with sanctions against Lebanon if it participates in the reconstruction of Syria.

Syria outside the economic summit, at the request of the United States of America.

The latter threatened Lebanon with sanctions if it participated in rebuilding Syria.

The US position officially informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, in more than one way, that the US Embassy in Beirut conveyed the message of its administration directly to the relevant officials at Bestsar Palace.

The other channel was to inform the US State Department of its position to the Lebanese Embassy in Washington.

However, in the second case, it was not a “tip”, but it was Lebanon who knocked on the door asking for “advice”.

The US message, in response to a request from the US diplomatic mission, was to know its “view” of Syria’s invitation to the summit in Beirut on Sunday.

Al Akhbar newspaper received a copy of a confidential telegram (file 6/4, fax no. 4/11 dated 3/1/2019) sent by the Lebanese Mission to the United States to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beirut under the title “The possibility of inviting Syria to participate in the Arab Summit for Development: Social Economic in Beirut».

“We have informed the Lebanon Office of the US State Department, in writing, via e-mail, after the employee reviewed his senior officials in the US Department of State according to our question:” We urge Lebanon and all Arab League member states to refrain from Invitation to Syria.

We also urge Lebanon not to take any steps that contribute to securing the financial resources of the Syrian regime, for example, making investments or sending funds for reconstruction.

Any financial or material support for the Assad regime or its supporters may be subject to US sanctions”.

The decision to suspend Syria’s membership in 2011 was carried out by Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al Thani in the interest of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Despite all signs of Arab-Gulf openness to the Syrian state, it seems that the “button” of the latter’s return to the “university” will not only be pressured by an American decision today.

All indications point to this, and the latest “urging” Washington to Lebanon and the Arab countries to refrain from inviting Syria to the economic summit.

Is this the real reason behind the absence of Damascus from the January 20 summit, and not what is said to be a mere organizer of the summit, calling on the League of Arab States?

Especially since the language in which the cable was sent from Washington on January 3 suggests that Lebanon asked to know the American orientation, to build on it, in complete contradiction to the stated positions of Minister Jubran Bassil.

An official in the Lebanese Foreign Ministry denies that Syria’s lack of invitation to the summit is a result of a US decision.

“This is an Arab issue and the United States doesn’t have it”, Says that the US position on Syria’s participation is “well known and we have been informed by officials at the US Embassy in Beirut during a visit to the ministry and through other means”.

But the official stressed that “Washington’s opinion is not binding on us.

“Many countries are expressing their views on several issues.

That doesn’t mean we have to implement them”, and why should the Lebanese Mission to the United States ask to know its position on an Arab issue if we are not indifferent to what Washington is saying?

“The cable may be wrongly phrased”, the official said.

“We didn’t ask our mission in Washington to ask US officials about their position, it shouldn’t be.

The second dangerous point in the cable from Washington is the threat of sanctions against Lebanon if it participates in the reconstruction of Syria, with US warnings being officially received by Lebanese political figures.

The question is whether Lebanon will succumb to American pressure and miss the opportunity to restore its relationship with Damascus to the right track, because of its political and economic interests.

Minister Jubran Bassil’s public statements do not suggest that he will be an outlet for American attitudes.

“We have been strangled by the war in Syria and the Arab markets have been closed to us.

It is unacceptable to suffocate ourselves in peacetime”, he said on Friday.

“We are the vanguard of Syria’s return to the Arab League, and we’ll not be just a follower of others to join Syria when it decides.

After the war there is rebuilding, is it reasonable to punish ourselves and not to participate, because there is a state that prevents us and impose sanctions if we participate?”

Bassil was intended to reveal this, after meeting with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hill, said that “Lebanon is interested in engaging in the reconstruction of Syria, and this must be taken into consideration”,

Has the Lebanese foreign ministry decided to “keep pace” with Washington on the issue of not inviting Syria to the economic summit, in return for sticking to Lebanon as a key partner in its reconstruction?

Or is it actually “wrong formulation” from the Lebanese Embassy to the United States for the report I sent?

For diplomatic sources opposed to Bassil, his position on opening up to Syria “is directed at the Arab countries, specifically Saudi Arabia, not the United States, and the evidence from the embassy in Washington.

The US Department of State is unlikely to resort to such a step without entrusting its administration So do it?

It should be noted that the diplomatic mission not only asked American officials about their position on Syria’s invitation to the economic summit, asked to know the views of the ambassadors of Arab countries, including Egypt, Kuwait and Tunisia.

The Arab ambassadors put the ball in the Arab League stadium, tumbling behind its position in this area.

As for the Egyptian ambassador in Washington, he pointed out that his country did not sever its relationship with Damascus, throughout the crisis.

While the Tunisian ambassador informed the Lebanese Embassy that Tunisia has not yet taken a final position on Syria’s invitation to the Arab summit in March, or refraining from doing so if the Arab League doesn’t decide to reactivate Syria’s membership.