BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s state news agency says one Palestinian has been killed and others wounded during intense clashes that erupted in …

The Daily Star, BEIRUT: The re-opening of the Qleiaat airport in north Lebanon is a righteous demand, President Michel Aoun said Friday. …

by naharnet – Prime Minister Saad Hariri received at the Center House on Friday the Estonian President, Kersti Kaljulaid, and the accompanying …

by Makram Rabah

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of  khazen.org

Over the years the Lebanese have got used to the idea that many, if not all, of their leaders' political statements and actions can be easily reversed or simply swept away without any form of accountability or consequences. However, the hail of criticism generated by the recent remarks of Lebanese President Michel Aoun in support of Hezbollah might be the exception to the aforementioned rule.

The objections to Aoun’s unstatesmanlike remarks stem from the ambassadors of the International Support Group for Lebanon (ISGL) - the US, France, Britain, Germany, Italy and China, in addition to the EU ambassador and representative of the UN secretary-general in Lebanon and Arab League representative. This might perhaps serve as a warning of what awaits Lebanon if Aoun stays his precarious course. The US ambassador to Lebanon, Elizabeth Richard, clearly warned the Lebanese state that its refusal to abide by international law and UN resolutions might lead to the withdrawal of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). As it stands, however, President Aoun's skewed position in support of Hezbollah has virtually imploded UNSCR 1701, which requires the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, and has placed Lebanon under the scrutiny of the international community, something that might have dire repercussions for Lebanon and its fragile economy.