The French connection

One of the missing pieces of the puzzle over the sudden resignation of Lebanon’s prime minister, Saad Hariri, will finally be in place when Hariri travels to France later today. The speculation that Saudi Arabia had detained him in connection either with its long-running feud with arch-foe Iran or its royal crackdown on corruption is gradually beginning to recede. In a tweet before his arrival in Paris, Hariri scotched all rumours spread about his detention and instead explained that he was in the Saudi kingdom for consultations on the future of Lebanon and its relations with the region. He has even vowed to visit Lebanon as early as next week. In recent days, Saudi officials have upped the ante on their criticism of Hezbollah, linking durable peace in Lebanon with the immediate disarming of the group described by the foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, as a “first-class terrorist organisation”. The Kingdom has already advised its nationals to quit Lebanon while they can in the midst of stability risks.

It is possible that Hariri’s trip to Paris could help defuse tensions in the region. Lebanon’s president, Michel Aoun, seems to think that the prime minister’s sojourn would signal an end to the crisis. Perhaps it would. However, in a statement Aoun cautioned that Hariri would still have to officially hand over his resignation in Lebanon and remain there until such time that a new government is installed. Perhaps Hariri will provide more details about the threats he faces to his life — presumably at the hands of a militant group.

By enticing Hariri to Paris, France can now reap the fruits of its new diplomatic doctrine in the Middle East. The initiative is welcome because it offers a more balanced position between two leading regional players, Saudi Arabia and Iran. And the French leader is probably relishing the role.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2017.

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