It’s Official: Lebanese Prime Minister Not Resigning After All
5, 2017
BEIRUT, Lebanon — A month after he declared under Saudi Arabian pressure
that he was quitting his post, Lebanon’s prime minister officially rescinded his resignation on Tuesday, closing a chapter in a curious political saga that threatened to destabilize Lebanon and transfixed the region.
The episode was widely seen as an attempt by Saudi Arabia to counter its regional rival, Iran, by collapsing Mr. Hariri’s
government, which includes Hezbollah, the Shiite militia and political party that is Iran’s Lebanese ally.
The reversal by the prime minister, Saad Hariri, was considered a setback for Saudi Arabia
and its brash young crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who had summoned Mr. Hariri to Riyadh last month.
Mr. Hariri said in a brief statement after a cabinet meeting Tuesday
that the government had recommitted to dissociate "from any dispute and conflicts or wars, and not to interfere in the internal affairs of the Arab states, in order to preserve the relationship between Lebanon and its Arab brethren." Maria Abi-Habib and Hwaida Saad contributed reporting from Beirut, and Nour Youssef from Cairo.
The Lebanese government also announced Tuesday that it was reaffirming its policy of "disassociation" from regional
conflicts, adopted in 2013 in an attempt to insulate the country from the war in neighboring Syria.
The attempt fizzled when Lebanon’s president refused to accept the resignation unless Mr. Hariri delivered it in person,
and the normally fractious Lebanese united against the Saudi move.