Lebanon's Stance on U.N. Syria Vote Creates Controversy
Lebanon’s decision to abstain from voting on the U.N. Security Council resolution against the Syrian regime triggered wide reactions locally, especially among the March 8 forces and the March 14-led opposition that strongly criticized it, An Nahar newspaper reported on Thursday.
Sources told the daily that the Foreign Ministry had directed Lebanon's Special Envoy to the U.N. Nawaf Salam to vote against the resolution, but urgent discussions among officials favored that Lebanon abstain from voting.
President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati agreed to detach Lebanon from the international decision to avoid any possible pressure by the Syrian regime or the international community, the sources noted.
Al-Liwaa newspaper reported that the contacts remained ongoing between the President, the PM and Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour before the Security Council’s meeting.
However, the Russian and Chinese vetoes were enough to block the resolution.
During Wednesday’s Security Council meeting on Syria, Salam said Lebanon decided to disassociate itself from the council statement condemning violence in Syria.
“Lebanon is committed to defend the sovereignty of (Syria) and the unity of its people… but in order to protect Lebanon’s unity and stability, it abstains from voting,” Salam said.
Nine countries voted late Tuesday in favor of the draft resolution which had called for "targeted measures" if Syrian President Bashar Assad pursues his clampdown, which the U.N. says has left at least 2,700 people dead.
Russia and China voted against, killing the resolution because of their veto powers as council permanent members.
South Africa, India, Brazil and Lebanon abstained, reaffirming a divide in the 15-member body since NATO launched air strikes in Libya using U.N. resolutions to justify the action.
over 12 years
some people here are feeling like they are peasent on iranian farm.
i guess they played iranian version of some online multiplayer farming game.
over 12 years
habal, you're Iranian! Get lost!
over 12 years
بلد ضعيف لا يحكمه سوى الضعفاء, تصور الكارثة لو ان لبنان صوت ضد القرار؟؟؟؟؟؟؟؟
ماذا سوف يحصل بنا كلبنانيين؟؟؟؟ و هل سوف تساعدنا سوريا في كسر العزلة الدولية التي سوف تفرض علينا؟؟؟؟؟
آن الاون ان نبدأ كلبنانيين بالبحث عن مصلحة بلدهم, كفانا دمارا و حروب بالنيابة عن غيرنا حيث اننا نغرق بالظلام و التخلف ينطلقون من انجاز اقتصادي و اجتماعي و غيره الى انجاز اخر.
و نحن لم نزل البلد الجميل بنظر العميان.
over 12 years
and the zionist information department is still holding to their mantra...iran iran iran iran iran iran iran iran...sometimes they put in some other mantra elements like: syria syria, hisbuhistan, militia...but that "iran iran iran iran...." thing is proving that they are zionists because lebanese would be more obsessed with syria.
over 12 years
@habal
I have an iphone, and a mac...I wear a Levis jeans, and Converse shoes...I like to drink coke, and have the occasional burger...I like to watch the women with their bikini getting a tan on the beach, I like to have my drink in front of the TV at the evening...I also like to listen to Fairuz from time to time, and I enjoy my narguileh by the sea...
I do not want my country to be similar to syria or Iran, or Saudi Arabia. Looking toward those countries is going backwords...I want to move forward...
Obviously...you don't!
over 12 years
@habal
oh i see...you're the frustrated type ;-)
over 12 years
OH NO!! The moderator deleted habal's post... :(
over 12 years
If at first you fail, try, try again. But in the case of the now-defunct March 14 immature adolescents (just look at their leader, cheikh Imbecile), the more they try, the more they will have to try. Always the wrong ideas. Always the wrong associations. Always the wrong crowd. Always the wrong policies. ALWAYS WRONG. Sorry, LOSERS. You never learned and you will never learn. You only have yourselves to blame. So keep herding behind the criminals, traitors and thieves.
What a sad day for Lebanon, we should have voted as a country and not as a farm with Iran in charge