Hariri’s resignation was expected: Former Lebanese official

CAIRO – 14 November 2017: The resignation announcement of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad El Hariri from Riyadh on November 3 created an ongoing crisis in the country. His resignation was not accepted by President Michael Aoun, leaving his government and the nation awaiting his return.

According to Hariri, he resigned because he had received death threats by Iran-backed Hezbollah. Hezbollah had increased inside and outside of Lebanon. He also declared that he would return in two days.

The former consultant of the Lebanese president, Beshara Khair Allah, affirmed in an interview with Egypt Today that Hezbollah’s acts are unconstitutional, favoring its private interests rather than that of the nation. He added that Hariri’s resignation had been expected in light of Hezbollah’s continuous militant operations outside the country’s borders.

Khair Allah suggested on Tuesday a bundle of measures that should be taken by Lebanese President Michael Aoun to resolve the crisis and curb the guerilla group’s power.

The measures are set in place to neutralize the country, keeping it away from the conflict between regional powers, obliging Hezbollah to withdraw from the fighting in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, setting a timeline for the guerrilla group to seize its weapons, and putting into effect the Baabda Declaration signed by Lebanese factions in 2012 to inhibit internal conflicts.

The former presidential consultant added that Egypt plays a pivotal role in the endeavors aiming to resolve the current Lebanese crisis by virtue of its political influence on the Arab and regional scales, as well as it strong ties with all countries.

Iranian website Amadnews published a report titled "what happened during the meeting between Velayati and Hariri" last week, revealing that the Supreme Leader of Iran advisor Ali Akbar Velayati threatened Hariri’s assassination in order to pressure him to comply with Iranian demands regarding Hezbollah. “You will meet the same fate as your father,” is reportedly the threat relayed by Velayati.

Velayati also threatened to sink Lebanon into chaos, bringing in commanders from Hezbollah's security apparatus and asking them to present documents proving that the Lebanese Future Party (led by Hariri) had provided Western sources with sensitive information that led to the elimination of Hezbollah's field commanders in Syria by Israel.

Hariri refuted supporting the Iran-backed guerrilla group in any way, announcing his resignation the following day from the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Rafik Al-Hariri, initially a businessman, was the Prime Minister of Lebanon between 1992 and 1998, and again since 2000 until his resignation in 2004. He was assassinated on February 14, 2005 by Hezbollah militants after a car bomb exploded on his motorcade. He is credited for reconstructing the capital Beirut after the 15-year civil war. He was the father of Saad El Hariri.