Lebanon prime minister to return

Hariri leaves Saudi Arabia for France, plans Beirut trip

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) meets with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the Elysee palace Saturday in Paris.
French President Emmanuel Macron (left) meets with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the Elysee palace Saturday in Paris.

PARIS -- Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Saturday that he will return home in the coming days and declare a political stance for the first time since making a resignation announcement from Saudi Arabia that unleashed fears of a political crisis in Lebanon.

Hariri and his family met Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who invited the Lebanese leader to Paris to dispel fears that he was being held in Saudi Arabia against his will. Macron is seeking to calm tensions and avert a proxy conflict between Saudi-backed and Iranian-backed camps in Lebanon.

Hariri told Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Saturday that he will take part in Independence Day celebrations in Beirut on Wednesday, according to Macron's office. A French presidential official said Macron spoke Saturday with Aoun, who thanked France for its efforts to help Lebanon.

After his meeting with Macron, Hariri told reporters: "God willing, I will attend Independence Day in Lebanon and will declare my political stance from Lebanon and after meeting President Michel Aoun."

"As you know I have resigned and we will talk about this matter in Lebanon," Hariri said after thanking Macron, who he added "expressed pure friendship toward me that I will never forget."

The independence day ceremony is usually headed by the president, prime minister and parliament speaker, and Hariri's presence could help calm uncertainties that have escalated since his surprising resignation announcement on Nov. 4 from Saudi Arabia.

However, Hariri's political status is murky. Lebanon's president refused to accept Hariri's resignation, accusing the Saudis of holding him against his will.

Before leaving Riyadh, Hariri dismissed as "rumors" reports about his alleged detention in the kingdom.

In his televised resignation announcement, Hariri had cited Iran and Hezbollah for meddling in Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia. He also said he was afraid for his life.

Saudi Arabia on Saturday asked its citizens for the second time in less than two weeks to leave Lebanon "as soon as possible" given the "circumstances" there. That raised fears of more punitive actions to come.

A French presidential official said it is essential that Lebanon be protected from "negative" foreign influences because the country needs stability and a strong state. The official didn't name any specific nations but said Lebanon should be protected from the "dangers that regional crises can pose to it."

The Arab League is due to hold a meeting today in Cairo at Saudi Arabia's urging where the Lebanon crisis and Iran's role in the region are expected to be discussed.

Just before leaving Saudi Arabia, Hariri met with the Saudi Crown Prince and other senior officials, according to a member of Hariri's political party and two Lebanese television stations.

Hariri landed before dawn Saturday at an airport used for private jets in Le Bourget north of Paris, and came in a convoy to his Paris residence in a high-end neighborhood, where police stood guard. Hariri frequently stays in France thanks to decades-old family ties there.

Hariri held private talks with Macron and then they were joined by Hariri's wife Lara al-Azm and elder son Hussam and Macron's wife Brigitte for lunch.

Hariri's two younger son and daughter, Abdul-Aziz and Loulwa, remained in Saudi Arabia because they have school today, said Okab Saqr, a member of Hariri's parliamentary bloc.

The official with the French presidency said France is not worried that Hariri left two of his children in Saudi Arabia.

"We have no reason to be concerned about this," the French official said, answering questions about whether, as some have suggested, Saudi Arabia could use the children's whereabouts to maintain pressure on Hariri.

Hariri's exact next steps after his planned visit to Lebanon are unclear. A French official said Saturday that France is offering Hariri the necessary support during this time of political turmoil in his country. The official was not authorized to be publicly named.

Macron said he received Hariri "with the honors due a prime minister," even though he has announced his resignation, since Lebanon hasn't yet recognized it.

While Macron insists that he's not offering "exile," Hariri's return could be complicated by Lebanon's internal tensions.

Separately, Saudi Arabia's state news agency reported that the kingdom has summoned its ambassador to Germany for consultations after statements made by Germany's foreign minister in support of Lebanon.

The Saudi Press Agency also said the kingdom will hand over a protest note to Germany's ambassador to Riyadh.

The press agency said the Saudis were referring to Sigmar Gabriel's comments last week during a news conference with his Lebanese counterpart in which he criticized meddling in Lebanon's affairs.

The agency said Saturday that Gabriel's statements were based on "wrong information" and "surprised" the kingdom.

Germany's Foreign Ministry would not comment directly on the development Saturday, but released a statement saying "we are very concerned about the stability of the region and call on all sides to reduce tensions."

Information for this article was contributed by Angela Charlton, Patrick Hermansen, Sarah El Deeb and other staff members of The Associated Press.

A Section on 11/19/2017

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