Lebanon is in danger but there is still hope, the head of the Arab League said Wednesday ahead of a new round of talks with rival Lebanese factions over a new Arab proposal to solve the country's political crisis. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa arrived in Beirut to present a plan, unanimously endorsed by Arab foreign ministers in Cairo on Saturday, calling for the election of army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman as president, the formation of a national unity government and the adoption of a new electoral law.
"Lebanon is in danger but its salvation is possible. This is a Lebanese as well as an Arab responsibility in the first place," Moussa told reporters at Beirut airport before heading for talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
After the meeting the AL chief was more optimistic. Talking to reporters, he said his talks were "useful, very positive and encouraging too." In answering a question as to whether he would leave Lebanon prior to working out a settlement, Moussa said: "I intend to stay until this solution is achieved, and it could be achieved in a couple of days."
Asked whether he is optimistic about the possibility of electing Suleiman in a parliamentary session scheduled for Saturday, Moussa said: "I'll be here next Saturday."
According to Naharnet, the former Egyptian foreign minister noted that his mission is "not to provide clarifications. The initiative is crystal clear and the issue is related to political will and needs neither clarification nor explanation or dictionary or atlas."
When told that the feuding factions in Lebanon have conflicting interpretations of the initiative, Moussa replied: "let's not get into small issues through which Lebanon can be lost"
