Alwaght- Concerning the increasing challenges between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, Riyadh’s recent decision to cut off military aids to the Lebanese army, deporting some Lebanese nationals from the Persian Gulf region’s Arab countries and other diplomatic actions against Beirut, the Alwaght has interviewed Najah Wakim, the former member of the parliament and the president of the Lebanese People’s Movement.
Alwaght: What are the real reasons behind the cessation of the Saudi Arabian aids for Lebanon’s army and security forces, as well as forcing more Lebanese nationals out of the Arab states for security excuses?
Wakim: In fact, the reasons and motives (of the Arab states) are clear. Essentially, when Saudi Arabia announced that it was aiding the Lebanese army, its main objective at the time was to give the army supports to enable it to battle the terrorism. After a short time, the kingdom has put Hezbollah on the terrorism blacklist. It was obvious that Riyadh intended to push for a dispute between Hezbollah and the country’s army.
Now that Riyadh has failed to realize this intention, it has decided to halt its aids for the army, because it was sure that this plan would not work. Today, because of Lebanon’s stances in Cairo and Jeddah conferences, while actually the Lebanese stance was in favor of Saudi Arabia, the Saudis have decided to take the steps we have heard about. The kingdom’s aim it to push the country towards a conflict once again and deepen the gaps between the Lebanese sides. Now we know that there is an open alliance between Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states with the Israeli regime, and as we know, disintegration of Lebanon and sparking a civil war in the country is the fixed Israeli aim. What Saudi Arabia has done is actually an implementation of what the Israeli regime is seeking for Lebanon.
Alwaght- In the shadow of these Saudi and American strains on Lebanon which include cutting off military aids, could Beirut make up for all these by resorting to Iran and accepting the unconditional Iranian aids the offer of which is still standing according to the recent Iranian officials’ remarks?
Wakim: the Islamic Republic has made the offer to Lebanon before Saudi Arabia’s offer was made, which aimed at cancelling the Iranian offer. At the present time, the Islamic Republic of Iran has said that it was ready to provide the Lebanese army with what it needed but the Lebanese officials are making excuses to avoid accepting the Iranian offer.
The US and Saudi pressures were behind Lebanese authorities’ not accepting the Iranian aids which are in best interest of the country. Now the Lebanese government is facing a challenge after Saudi Arabia has suspended the supports. It is a challenge the government must take into consideration. I think that it should accept the (Iranian) aids, because it is the best way to serve interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese people which are dealing with the dangers coming from both the Israeli regime and the terrorism.
Alwaght- Do you think that there is a link between Saudi Arabia’s financial and economic decline and the aids cut-off?
Wakim: There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is suffering from a financial crisis due to the money it wasted on destruction of the Arab world. The money it spent on devastation of Syria, Iraq, Yemen and other countries is seriously big. Despite all these, I do not believe that the economic decline is the primary and essential reason behind halting the aid the kingdom has talked about. The main reasons are what I have earlier talked about: Failing to trigger a conflict between the Resistance and the Lebanese army. In additions to these steps, they seek, unfortunately, to deepen the Lebanese gaps through calling for gatherings and festivals.
Alwaght: What do you think about the remarks of 14 March Alliance and also about the letter that Saad Hariri has asked people to sign? Is not that embarrassing for some parties to show a scene of begging after the Arab states aids cut-off?
Wakim: (Laughing) I was surprised at this effrontery. There are talking about Arab identity. What kind of Arabs they are while they seek demolition of Syria, what kind of Arabs they are while they ignore Palestine. Those who are boasting of Arab identity are in open alliance with Zionist regime. For evidence it is enough to refer to the shameful photo of Saudi Arabia’s Turki al-Faisal taken with (the Israeli Defense Minister) Moshe Ya’alon. For more evidence we also can refer to the repeated remarks by the Israeli officials on top of them was the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who said that there were close relations between the Zionist enemy and the Persian Gulf states. While such ties do exist, where is the place of Palestine and the Palestinian people? What kind of Arabs are those who disregarded Palestine and are disregarding Syria? Syria is the essence of Arab identity, as is Palestine and not Abu Dhabi nor Fujairah or the kingdom of Al Saudi and all these ridiculous states.
Alwaght: What would be the next step by the Persian Gulf states as part of this systematic campaign? What are the upcoming escalating moves to follow cutting off the ties and reducing the level of the diplomatic ties and recalling the ambassadors after the Resistance and its allies have foiled their plans by means of the government’s declaration?
Wakim: I cannot predict their next moves.
Alwaght: Are we moving towards escalation or there would be calm?
Wakim: I think that everything is leaning towards escalation because the objective of sparking a conflict in Lebanon is still in place and obviously pursued by the Saudi leadership and its allies the Persian Gulf states.
Alwaght: What is your take on the resignation of Lebanon’s Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi and what is happening to the Future Movement? Do you think that minister Rifi is working to win a Sunni publicity in Tripoli in competition with Hariri and his party?
Wakim: It is not an important matter for me. I think that these disputes are reflecting the divisions inside Saudi Arabia. Every prince has somebody to back in Lebanon and the princes’ clashes influence their proponents in Lebanon.
