20/01/2010 Hezbollah expressed on Wednesday doubts over the "seriousness" of the American refusal to support any plan to support the naturalization of the Palestinians in Lebanon.
According to a statement issued by the American embassy in Beirut, US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell confirmed to Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri that Washington would not support the full naturalization as Lebanese citizens of an estimated 250,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon.
But Hezbollah international relations official Sayyed Ammar Moussawi told Al-Manar website on Wednesday that such American promises were doubtful. "We still look with suspicion towards the American intentions in the issue of naturalizing Palestinians in Lebanon," Moussawi said, adding that "all what the United States is doing signals that they have a complete scheme to resolve the Palestinian cause under the base of overthrowing the Right of Return."
Moussawi highlighted the "huge contradiction" between the announced US policy and the statements announced by visiting US officials to Beirut.
According to the Hezbollah official, the priority of the US policy is believed to come in harmony with the absolute support for the Zionist entity. "The American policy's priority is therefore safeguarding the Israeli interests in the region," he emphasizing, concluding that Lebanon is not a priority for the US administration. "Americans are dealing with the Lebanese scene only from the perspective of the Resistance and the challenge its arms constitute to the Zionist entity," he stressed.
Moussawi confirmed that the US intensive visits to Beirut are non-productive in any issue. "The Americans won't provide the Lebanese Army with effective weapons," he said while recalling of the conditions set by the US to weapon the army.
Even more, and according to Moussawi, the US administration proved during the last few days that it doesn't take into consideration the Lebanese interests. This reality was reflected by the American measures against Lebanese travelers at airports and the bill aimed at sanctioning the so-called "anti-American" media.
"The US law that targets media panels in the region is a form of terrorization and hegemony at one side but reflects at the other how the United States cannot anymore afford the criticism," he said.
"They are claiming that Al-Manar and some other channels are spreading hatred," he said. "In reality, it's the American policy and only the American policy that's spreading hatred."
Mitchell, who arrived on Tuesday in Beirut and met with PM Saad Hariri and foreign minister Ali Al-Shami, met on Wednesday with President Michel Sleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri.
According to a statement released by the US embassy in Beirut, Mitchell has stressed to Lebanese officials that Washington will not make any move that would come at the expense of Lebanon. He reiterated Washington's commitment to the stalled Middle East peace process and Lebanon's independence.
"Senator Mitchell conveyed the commitment of President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to comprehensive peace in the Middle East, which includes peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Israel and Syria, and Israel and Lebanon and the full normalisation of relations between Israel and the Arab states," the US embassy in Lebanon said in its statement.
It added that the US envoy in his meeting with Prime Minister Hariri late Tuesday confirmed that Washington would not support the full naturalisation as Lebanese citizens of an estimated 250,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon.
"Senator Mitchell reiterated that Lebanon would play a key role in the long-term effort to build lasting and comprehensive peace and stability in the Middle East region and that there would not be a lasting solution reached at Lebanon's expense," the statement said.
Media reports said that the envoy discussed with Hariri latest local and regional developments and the progress made on Middle East peace. The envoy also told al-Shami that his tour to the region is aimed at giving fresh impetus to the peace process and President Barack Obama's vision of peace in the Middle East.
Al-Shami stressed during his talks with Mitchell on Lebanon's rejection of naturalization of Palestinians and commitment to international resolutions, mainly Security Council resolution 1701. The Lebanese foreign minister also discussed with the envoy measures taken in US airports against Lebanese nationals and the US House of Representatives' bill that calls for punitive measures against Middle East television networks seen as fuelling anti-American hatred, including Al-Manar TV.
MITCHELL MEETS ASSAD, STRESSES SYRIA ROLE IN MIDEAST PEACE
Mitchell was headed to Damascus following his meeting with Sleiman and Berri where he met President Bashar al-Assad and said Syria had an important role to play in the search for peace in the Middle East.
Mitchell reaffirmed President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's commitment "to a comprehensive peace in the Middle East that includes peace between Israel and Palestinians, Israel and Syria, Israel and Lebanon.
"It also includes the full normalization of the relations between Israel and the Arab states," he said after arriving in Damascus from talks with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman in Beirut, where he pressed home the same message.
"Syria certainly has an important role to play in all these efforts," he told reporters on his third visit to the country since being appointed Obama's special envoy to the Middle East.
"This is my third meeting with the president and I look forward to build on the positive relationship we have to make tangible progress on our efforts to peace and on a bilateral relationship between US and Syria," he said.
Since Obama came to office exactly one year ago, official visits to Syria by US officials have multiplied as Washington believes Damascus can also help with issues relating to Iraq and Lebanon.
Mitchell's latest tour comes less than a week after Obama's national security adviser James Jones met Palestinian and Israeli leaders aimed at furthering US-led peace efforts.
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
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