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A week after Prime Minister Saad Hariri was placed under house arrest, the Lebanese government is seriously discussing the option of internationalizing the crisis with Saudi Arabia and transferring the case to the Security Council. Prime Minister Hariri must wait at least another week, before Lebanon formally involves the United Nations and resolves to confront diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, without any predetermined results, given that Lebanon will be facing an adversary whose network of economic interests extends strongly within the United Nations. That it will be the first Arab confrontation to be initiated by Lebanon in the Security Council.

However, transferring this confrontation to the United Nations is necessary. It will represent a testament to the blatant Saudi aggression against Lebanon. The international community must be included in order to be held accountable if it chooses to marginalize itself as Mohammed bin Salman goes to the option of igniting the Lebanese scene. Lebanon cannot simply remain an easy target for Saudi daily blackmail and its constant threat of Lebanese civil peace, provided that it goes beyond the Hariri case, which will not be enough to deter the Saudis. Despite being a current priority, it is also necessary to put forth the Saudi aggression on Lebanon, as reflected daily in the statements of Saudi officials and the frantic activities of the Saudi networks to ignite civil war in Lebanon.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrullah: Saudi Arabia has kidnapped the Lebanese PM

Hezbollah's Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah did not deviate from the general atmosphere in the country, which is committed to calm and to call for the return of Prime Minister Saad Hariri from Saudi Arabia to build on the matter. However, sayyed Nasrullah did not hesitate to strip Saudi Arabia of its warmongering rhetoric against Lebanon in general and Hezbollah in specific, stressing that the pressures of the Saudi regime will not succeed in changing the positions of Hezbollah.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is a key player in calming the Lebanese political scene, contrary to the will of the ruler of Riyadh. In his televised speech on Friday November 10, on the occasion of Hezbollah's martyr day and the 40th anniversary of Imam Hussein’s martyrdom, Nasrallah explained how "suddenly and with one stroke Prime Minister Saad Hariri was swiftly summoned by the Saudis without his assistants and advisers. He went and was forced to resign and read the statement they wrote for him. Lebanon was put in front of a new stage, and then began a series of statements and blatant threats from Saudi Arabia, up to the stage we are witnessing today”.

Before he the Saudi madness was unleashed, Lebanon within a year had entered “a state of political stability”, according to Sayyed Nasrullah. A President was elected for the Lebanese Republic, the cabinet was dissolved, and the formation of a national unity government began to work effectively and earnestly. The work of the deputies was activated, a new law was put in place for the upcoming parliamentary elections, and a budget was approved for the first time in 12 years. Then came along Saudi Arabia to offer “public and unprecedented interference” where Hariri's house arrest was then imposed and prevented from returning. His situation has become resounding. The man is detained in Saudi Arabia and is not allowed to return to Lebanon. The Prime Minister of the Lebanese government is being held in Saudi Arabia" the Secretary General repeated more than once.

Stressing that the Lebanese are facing a fateful stage, Sayyed Nasrullah emphasized that Hezbollah condemns the blatant Saudi interference in Lebanese internal affairs and the humiliating behavior with PM Saad Hariri. Sayyed Nasrullah reiterated that “in Hezbollah, we consider insulting the Prime Minister an insult to every Lebanese, even if we disagree with our PM in politics”.

Saudi Arabia’s next step

Not only did the Saudis neglect all Lebanese, Arab and international demands for the release of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, they launched a new campaign to impose Baha'i Hariri as an alternative leader for his brother Saad. It seems that the central pressure has shifted from trying to convince the family and the "future" movement to influence their public with what Bin Salman wants, but rather are now working to create a rift within the political team of Prime Minister Hariri, both at the level of the parliamentary bloc, at the level of political leaders and activists and at the level of the media.

Saudi Minister for [Persian] Gulf Affairs, Thamer al-Sbahan, remained in constant contact with a large number of Lebanese personalities, with the help of the Saudi charge d'affaires in Beirut, Walid al-Bukhari, who in the past 3 days have invited personas and groups to visit the embassy in Beirut and to pledge allegiance to the kingdom and its options. Ashraf Rifi, former minister of justice, and leaders of the once existing March 14 created some popular action for youth in Beirut that ended in a complete absurdity on national TV with young men not knowing the reason behind their protest.

On the same note, efforts were being made to persuade some Arab clans from the Khaldeh area to participate in visits to the Saudi embassy amid security warnings for some of those invited to carry out subversive roles, especially after supporters of al-Sabhan reiterated that Hezbollah's roads in Lebanon would be cut in the south and Beqaa. Al-Akhbar reported that a large number of tribal leaders in Khaldah, Beqaa and the North declined to meet the invitation at the request of Future Movement officials. In the same context, the Sabhan team tried to influence some clerics and religious associations. Most of the imams of the mosques observed the commitment of Dar al-Fatwa as not to raise the issue of allegiance to Saudi Arabia in Friday sermons, except for the Mufti of the North, Malik al-Sha'ar, who seemed closer to the speech of Ahsraf Rifi who discussed the situation after the resignation as if it were settled.

Lebanese Unity over the Hariri disappearance

Meanwhile a senior Lebanese official said President Michel Aoun had told foreign ambassadors, Hariri had been “kidnapped” and should have immunity. President Aoun had already declared that Lebanon does not accept its Prime Minister being in a situation at odds with international treaties stressing that any comment or move by Hariri “does not reflect reality” due to the questions over his status following his resignation in a broadcast from Saudi Arabia. Lebanon's president then called on Riyadh late on Saturday to clarify the reasons why the country's Prime Minister has not returned home since his dubious resignation last week.

A political crisis has gripped Lebanon and shattered the relative peace maintained by its coalition government since Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s stunning announcement Nov. 4 from the Saudi capital that he was resigning, wrote the Washington Post. Lebanese officials have all insisted on the return home of Hariri from Saudi Arabia amid asserted rumors he is being held against his will.

The wise, calm and responsible administration of President Michel Aoun, in solidarity and consultation with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and the various forces, became a consensus for all Lebanese who have decided that it is a must to stand together behind the wise administration of the crisis.

*(Saad Hariri with Saudi King Salman in Riyadh. Image credit: Saudi Press Agency Handout)