Report: Connelly, Ghosn Disagree on General Situation

U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly stressed during her meeting with Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn on the role of the Lebanese Armed Forces in protecting the Syrian opposition residing in Lebanon.

Sources told An Nahar newspaper on Wednesday that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey will reiterate the U.S. position to Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji during his upcoming visit to the U.S.

However, sources close to the Defense Minister told the daily that Connelly and Ghosn’s points of view on the various issues that were discussed during the meeting “contradicted” each other.

The sources noted that “Connelly’s positions don’t oblige the minister, who expressed his opinion according to his own convictions and political path.”

They said that the Ghosn is “committed to his convictions and he didn’t pledge to cooperate” with the U.S. demands.

However, sources told al-Liwaa newspaper that Connelly’s meeting with Ghosn came after he visited Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus where they agreed on strengthening the cooperation between the Syrian and Lebanese armies.

An Nahar daily reported that the U.S. ambassador also held talks on Tuesday with Prime Minister Najib Miqati.

The sources noted that the discussion included Connelly’s meeting with Ghosn.