Berri not worried over 'Syrian intervention', says Salam visit to south coordinated with him
Speaker Nabih Berri has said that he is waiting to learn what happened in the bilateral meetings in Washington between President Joseph Aoun and Donald Trump and the extent of commitment to implementing the Israeli withdrawals from southern Lebanon.
Regarding whether he will meet with President Joseph Aoun upon his return from Washington, Berri told the Dubai-based WHYZ news portal: "Communication is ongoing."
As for U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about a possible Syrian intervention in Lebanon, Berri said he is "not worried because there are no indications from either Syria or Lebanon of any intention to interfere or create tensions."
Concerning Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's visit to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, Berri said: "It was symbolic and coordinated with me. He contacted me, and I advised him to go early and to coordinate with the Lebanese Army because the Israeli army has not ceased firing."
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"Reasonable expectation" is a legal term, meaning you shouldn't expect pie-in-the-sky just because you have a sweet tooth. Aoun demonstrated a tremendous capacity for personal humiliation by Trump. Aoun should watch the video of Zelensky's meeting with Trump, Vance, and Rubio last year. That one-sided conversation (lots of whimpering on the other side) sealed Zelensky's authority in Ukraine.
Berri needs to start putting daylight both between Amal and Hezbollah and between himself and Fadlallah's statements and positions. He should speak publicly and positively in support of the accomplishments, so far and yet expected, of President Aoun's initiative, negotiations both in Washington and to the Israelis, and the start of progress on the ground. The longer he waits for others to have already accomplish what he claims he wants for the country, the more certainly he ties the fate of Amal to the dissolution of Hezbollah as Lebanese have known it.