Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and former American Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman said that the US government is very worried about Hezbollah provoking strife in the region and its ongoing efforts to increase its military capacity.

Feltman told the US Congress’ Sub-Committee for Near Eastern Affairs on Tuesday that reviving an efficient and responsible Lebanese state by bolstering democratic institutions is the greatest threat to Hezbollah’s livelihood.

Feltman also reiterated his call on Syria to delineate its border with Lebanon, including the disputed territory of the Shebaa Farms, stressing that finding a diplomatic solution to the issue will help Lebanon not only assert its right to the land, but will be an important step toward implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, restoring normal relations with Syria and revealing whether Damascus truly wants to establish diplomatic ties with Lebanon.

“Drawing the border will also be a step toward establishing permanent peace between Lebanon and Israel,” Feltman added.

Feltman told the sub-committee that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem’s recent statements during his visit to Lebanon showed that Syria is not yet ready to recognize Lebanon as an equal and sovereign state.

He added that he was deeply disturbed when he saw “decent official figures” at the welcoming ceremony for Samir Kantar, who was freed during this month’s Hezbollah prisoner swap with Israel after being imprisoned there for committing a “horrifying crime.”

“Those Lebanese [officials] found themselves in an embarrassing situation. But this sad chapter is behind us, as it has eliminated a controversial issue between Lebanon and Israel,” he said.

Feltman said that the Lebanese government’s decisions on Hezbollah’s illegal telecommunications network and its ties to the head of the airport security services, “which led to the May clashes” were aimed at affirming state authority, as opposed to Hezbollah’s attempts to establish its own state-within-a-state.

Feltman also told the sub-committee about UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the ongoing smuggling of weapons from Syria to Lebanon, and Hezbollah’s arsenal, which he said is a threat not only to Lebanon’s neighboring countries, but also to internal political life in Lebanon.

He said that developing the capacities of the Lebanese Armed Forces requires continued cooperation and vast resources. “There is no quick solution to the Lebanese problem,” he said.

Feltman downplayed the political price that March 14 has paid as a result of the changes that came after Hezbollah’s military aggression in May, which led to the Doha Agreement. “However, no one knows how this story will end.”

He also pointed at some chances for the Lebanese state to assert itself, while recalling that the Doha Agreement helped revive constitutional institutions that were paralyzed for over a year before its drafting, and led to the election of President Michel Sleiman on May 25 and the establishment of a new government on July 11.

“The Doha Agreement includes a discussion of Hezbollah’s weapons within the framework of a national dialogue,” Feltman told the sub-committee.

“The government is drafting its ministerial statement. This is not an easy task to achieve, but the cabinet is meeting and being active,” he added.

But Feltman reminded the sub-committee that the March 14 forces have accepted compromises and let the opposition have the obstructing one-third parliamentary vote. “Hezbollah and its allies have eleven seats in the cabinet,” he added.

He noted that the previous government was always making decisions by consensus. PM Fouad Siniora’s first government, established in 2005, made 4,800 decisions by consensus, except for one decision and until the withdrawal of Shia ministers from the cabinet, Feltman said.

-NOW Staff