Following his meeting with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara al-Rai, US Ambassador Michel Issa stated that he had assured him of the safety of the Christian villages located in the south, explaining that he had received confirmation from Israel that they would not be targeted, unless there was any infiltration by elements affiliated with a “party.”
Regarding the efficiency of the Lebanese army at the current stage, he explained: “We know its ability to implement what it can implement, and it has the ability if it decides to do what is required of it, and we are waiting.”
Issa also added: “Peace cannot be reached without negotiating with Israel, and I told the Maronite Patriarch that from the first day we asked the Israelis to neutralize the Christian border villages in the south from the bombing, and we received a promise to do so, on the condition that members of Hezbollah do not infiltrate these villages. We also asked the Lebanese army to maintain a presence in these villages, but no one knows how things will turn out.”
He stressed that “Patriarch Al-Rahi is concerned with the safety of Lebanon away from the war, and I represent the United States of America, and our concern is for Lebanon to be independent, and I promised him to do everything necessary to stop the war.”
Issa concluded his speech by saying: “We appreciate President Joseph Aoun’s acceptance of negotiating with Israel to resolve the crisis, but Lebanon must decide whether it is able to meet with it in light of the continuing strikes, and there is no peace without meetings.”
