The Lebanese government will today meet to discuss the implications of the latest Gulf stance following Saudi Arabia’s announcement that it has stopped its military and security aid to Lebanon and that it will review relations with Lebanon as a result of the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ stances which were not in line with Arab solidarity. Another reason for the cessation of aid is Hezbollah’s stances and its campaigns against the kingdom.

The March 14 forces announced their refusal “to turn Lebanon into a base for organisations that display hostility to any Arab country and turn it into a cultural, economic and political victim of a state that tries to wield its influence over Arab countries”. The announcement was made after the forces’ meeting yesterday and referred to Iran.

The Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam said that he is pushing to “rectify the position” that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia complained about in its latest position that is shared by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). He warned in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat that he “will make people take responsibility for their actions and that the meeting called for by the government today “will show who wants what is in Lebanon’s best interests and will expose those who stand against these interests”.

Salam added that “there has always been unison between Lebanon and other Arab countries and the occurrence of negligence or a lapse is not the norm. The Gulf and Saudi Arabia in particular, have never neglected Lebanon and because of this we must not respond to this except by declaring our fraternity and cohesion with the Arab world where we belong, as our constitution stipulates”.

The Lebanese Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi yesterday announced his resignation from the government in protest at “Hezbollah’s attempt to form an Iranian mini-state in Lebanon” and stressed that “we are part of the Arab world and will not allow Hezbollah to control the Lebanese state”.