U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa and Grand Mufti Abdel Latif Derian at Dar al-Fatwa. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa said Wednesday that no agreement has been reached to end Israeli attacks on Lebanon because Hezbollah has not handed over its weapons, speaking after a meeting with Grand Mufti Abdel Latif Derian at Dar al-Fatwa.
“There is no agreement to end the Israeli aggression because Hezbollah has not handed over its weapons,” Issa said, in remarks broadcast by Al Jadeed. “The party does not want to do anything, so why ask Israel to do everything?”
“You are asking Israel to make concessions unilaterally, but you are not asking Hezbollah to lay down its arms,” he added, responding to questions from reporters.
Issa also denied that the United States would negotiate with Hezbollah, saying such talks could only take place if the group “had something to present” to Washington.
Addressing the stalled Lebanon-Israel negotiations being mediated by the United States, Issa said the talks “are not stopped.” He distinguished between technical negotiations, such as those held in Rome, which do not require dates to be set in advance and can take place whenever a specific issue needs to be resolved, and sovereignty-related negotiations, which are scheduled ahead of time to allow participants to adjust their calendars.
Asked about the fighting around the Ali Taher hills in Nabatieh, amid Lebanese fears of a possible Israeli ground advance, Issa said he did not personally know what was happening there or how the situation would develop. “We will see in the coming days,” he said.
On progress in the “pilot zones,” where the Lebanese Army is tasked with taking control and disarming armed groups, particularly Hezbollah, Issa said that what is agreed on paper takes time to implement on the ground.
U.S. Maj. Gen. Joseph Clearfield, who visited Lebanon in mid-August to help advance the negotiations, is coordinating with Lebanese and Israeli officials on developments, Issa said. “As soon as the first pilot zone is completed, the second, third and fourth will move faster,” he added.
Issa also told Derian that the United States stands with Lebanon and wants to contribute to its sovereignty. “I discussed Lebanon’s future and the importance of coexistence with Mufti Derian. I assured him that the United States stands with the Lebanese people and wants Lebanon to be a safe and independent country,” he said.
The ambassador added that the positions of the United States and the Grand Mufti were “close,” and stressed the importance of hearing from all of Lebanon’s communities to determine how Washington could help bring their views closer together.