US Deputy Mideast Envoy: Hezbollah Must Not be Part of Lebanon’s Government

Alsharq Tribune- Arab World 

The US deputy special envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, said on Friday that Hezbollah’s presence in Lebanon’s new government was a red line, welcoming the end of the group’s “reign of terror.”

“We have set clear red lines in the United States that they (Hezbollah) won’t be able to terrorize the Lebanese people, and that includes by being a part of the government,” Ortagus said after meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace

“The end of Hezbollah’s reign of terror in Lebanon and around the world has started and it’s over,” she added.

Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam was tasked more than three weeks ago with forming a government.

Last-minute disagreements stalled on Thursday the announcement of the new cabinet, primarily due to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s insistence on naming all Shiite ministers.

Berri, who is Hezbollah’s ally, objected to Salam’s proposed candidate for the fifth Shiite minister, delaying what had seemed to be an imminent government formation.

The US is seeking to curb the influence that Hezbollah will wield over it, in an attempt to capitalize on the pummeling that the group took in its war with Israel last year.

The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah ended in late November with a ceasefire brokered by the United States and France that set a deadline of 60 days for Israel to withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah to pull out its fighters and arms and Lebanese troops to deploy to the area.

That deadline was extended to Feb. 18. Ortagus referred to the new date on Friday but did not explicitly say the Israeli army (IDF) would withdraw from Lebanese territory

"February 18 will be the date for redeployment, when the IDF troops will finish their redeployment, and of course, the (Lebanese) troops will come in behind them, so we are very committed to that firm date," she said.