U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman speaks at a press conference during his visit to Lebanon (AP)
On Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice underscored U.S. support for the Lebanese government, while criticizing Syria and Iran for supporting Hezbollah and undermining Lebanese sovereignty. Her comments followed Syrian President Bashar Assad’s criticism of the United States. The week before Jeffrey Feltman, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, visited Lebanon and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman on the phone, following Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to Lebanon on October 13. In addition, Saudi King Abdullah recently met Assad in Saudi Arabia where they discussed regional issues, including the situation in Lebanon.
The rhetoric and heightened diplomatic activity comes at a time of renewed focus on the proceedings of the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), including harassment of UN STL investigators; reports of Syrian weapons smuggling to Hezbollah; and discovery of Hezbollah weapons caches in southern Lebanon.
Middle East Progress (MEP) has continued to examine developments in Lebanon over the years through interview and analyses, including a recent interview with Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center. MEP has also published related backgrounders on topics including armed groups in Lebanon, select UN Security Council resolutions on Lebanon, and outside interests in Lebanon.
