- Lebanon did not attend the anti-terrorism alliance summit held in Riyadh on Sunday
- The decision was made as part of the country's dissociation policy
- The policy formed Hariri's decision to postpone his resignation
- The alliance does not include Iran, Iraq or Syria, and Qatar did not attend
Lebanon did not attend a Saudi-led anti-terrorism alliance summit held in Riyadh Sunday, as part of the government’s effort to dissociate from regional conflicts, an official source said.
Lebanon received an official invitation to the inaugural summit of the Islamic Military Alliance, composed mainly of Muslim-majority countries, the source said, but “decided not to attend as part of implementing its dissociation policy.”
The Lebanese government had not yet made a decision on its stance with regard to the summit, the source added, saying it would wait until a statement was issued at the end of the initial one-day meet.
The source also denied reports that President Michel Aoun had asked Defense Minister Yaacoub Sarraf not to go to the conference.
Sarraf met separately with Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri Friday. He arrived in Romania Sunday, reportedly to sign a military cooperation agreement with his Romanian counterpart.
Lebanon’s dissociation from regional conflicts has become a major sticking point in recent weeks, and reportedly formed the basis of Hariri’s decision to suspend the formal submission of his resignation to Aoun after his return to Lebanon on Nov. 21.
Hariri announced his resignation in a televised address from the Saudi capital Riyadh on Nov. 4, pointing to Iranian political interference in the region and fears of an assassination plot against him.
Hariri’s resignation was seen as a harsh rebuke to Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian war and its alleged involvement in Yemen’s protracted conflict.
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Hezbollah has denied military involvement in Yemen.
“I agreed to [Aoun’s] request [to hold off on resigning], hoping that it will provide a serious opening to a responsible dialogue that will renew the commitment to the Taif Accord ... and resolve controversial issues and their impact on Lebanon’s relationship with its Arab brothers,” Hariri told reporters at Baabda Palace the day after he returned to Lebanon.
The Islamic Military Alliance does not include Iran, Iraq or Syria, and Qatar, although a member nation, has not sent a representative to the conference.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia are engaged in a diplomatic spat stemming from Saudi allegations of Qatar’s support of terrorist groups.
The alliance includes 41 nations, according to the Saudi government.
In an opening address to the high-ranking defense ministers and government officials attending the meeting, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman said the summit sends “a strong signal that we are going to work together and coordinate to support each other.”
“The biggest danger of this terrorism and extremism is that it tarnishes the reputation of our beloved religion ... we will not allow this to happen,” the crown prince said.
“Today we begin the pursuit of terrorism and we see its defeat in many ways around the world, especially in Muslim countries.”
Prince Mohammad launched the alliance as Saudi defense minister in 2015.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
