Lebanon's Role in Coalition against Jihadists Still Unclear

Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji, who has attended a meeting of senior commanders from more than 20 Western and Arab allies involved in the campaign to defeat jihadists, has sparked controversy over Lebanon's role in the coalition against the Islamic State terrorist group.

An Nahar daily quoted Qahwaji as saying at the meeting, which was held in Washington on Tuesday, that Lebanon is one of the countries most involved in combating terrorists.

But sources close to Prime Minister Tammam Salam told As Safir newspaper that Lebanon's role at the Washington talks was limited to asking for military support to help the country confront terrorists.

Qahwaji also inquired the military commanders of the Western and Arab countries on their plans to combat terrorism, the sources said.

“Lebanon will not reach a point where it will ask for the direct military intervention of the coalition through air strikes or any other move,” they told As Safir.

“The government's policy (in fighting terrorists) is based on defense and not launching an attack on them,” the sources said.

When Qahwaji received an invitation from the U.S. military's top officer, General Martin Dempsey, to attend the Washington talks, he took the green light of Salam and Defense Minister Samir Moqbel to travel to the U.S., they said.

Qahwaji's presence at the meeting does not need a cabinet decision, the sources added.

Lebanon first joined the coalition when Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil attended talks in Jeddah last month during which ten Arab countries agreed to help the U.S. in its fight against IS.

A joint communique declared a "shared commitment to stand united against the threat posed by all terrorism.”

It added that participants had "discussed a strategy to destroy IS wherever it is, including in both Iraq and Syria.”

After Bassil's return from Jeddah, some officials began claiming that Lebanon is not part of the coalition over fears that warplanes would carry out strikes in the country in violation of its sovereignty.

Since August, the Lebanese army has been fighting militants from the IS and al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front near the border with Syria. Earlier that month, the extremists crossed into the northeastern town of Arsal from Syria, capturing soldiers and policemen. Two of the soldiers have since been beheaded and one has been killed in captivity.

G.K.

H.K.