Iran welcomes Cabinet, U.S. House waves stick

The Iranian leadership congratulated Lebanon on the successful formation of a new Cabinet, as a leading U.S. lawmaker threatened to halt financial assistance to the country.

Both statements were issued late Monday, in response to the announcement of a new Hezbollah-led March 8 Cabinet, which was finally agreed after almost five months of political wrangling over the allocation of key ministry portfolios.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi described the formation of the 30-member Cabinet comprised of 18 March 8 ministers as great success and a glorious victory for the Lebanese nation and government.

"The formation of Lebanon's new government is a manifestation of Lebanese national sovereignty against Israeli aggressions and a significant leap toward the establishment of tranquility and stability in the Middle East," Salehi said in a statement, while expressing hope that Tehran-Beirut relations would bloom once the new government assumed power.

His support was echoed by Iranian Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, who telephoned Prime Minister Najib Mikati Monday to reaffirm his support for the new government, the Lebanese people and the resistance.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates its desire to remain a partner to Lebanon, and is ready to implement the agreements signed between the two countries," Rahimi said in remarks published by the official Iranian news agency, IRNA.

The apparent boost for Iranian interests in the country, however, has alarmed U.S. lawmakers, prompting the House Foreign Affairs Committee chair, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, to call for the suspension of all U.S. aid to Lebanon, totaling almost $230 million in 2010.

"Hezbollah and its cohorts will control the Lebanese government and likely benefit from the years of U.S. assistance, including to the Lebanese military," Ros-Lehtinen said. "The U.S. should immediately cut off assistance to the Lebanese government as long as any violent extremist group designated by the U.S. as foreign terrorist organizations participates in it."

Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican and vocal critic of U.S. President Barack Obama's administration, also urged the U.S. to halt assistance to the Palestinian Authority, "where Hamas appears to be following in Hezbollah's footsteps."

Fatah, which dominates politics in the West Bank, and Hamas, the more radical Palestinian faction in charge of Gaza, last month inked a reconciliation agreement after five years of division.

"We cannot undo past mistakes, but we can learn from them and safeguard taxpayer dollars going forward," said Ros-Lehtinen. "It is time for U.S. assistance to truly advance our interests, rather than benefit the likes of Hezbollah, Hamas and their partners."

Her remarks contrast the more cautious approach taken by the Obama administration, which has said it will "judge [the Cabinet,] by its actions." "What's important in our mind is that the new Lebanese government abides by the Lebanese Constitution, that it renounces violence, including efforts to exact retribution against former government officials, and lives up to its international obligations," State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said Monday.

The Congress, however, holds the purse strings on military assistance, over $700 million of which has been funneled to the Lebanese Army since 2005 in a bid to strengthen the institution. Concerns that donated military equipment could make its way into Hezbollah hands pushed the House Foreign Affairs Committee to temporarily freeze funding in August 2010, although the White House remained adamant assistance be resumed.

The French government has also taken a more guarded approach to the new Cabinet, urging Lebanon to honor its international commitments.

"The formation of the Lebanese government is an important step for Lebanon and the Lebanese," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

"It is essential that the government pursues the implementation of Lebanon's international obligations and commitments, particularly on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and its funding," the statement added.

The government of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri collapsed on Jan. 12 after 11, March 8 ministers walked out over an ongoing feud concerning the STL. The U.N.-backed tribunal is tasked with investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri, father of the ousted premier who has refused to participate in the new government and will now go on to head the opposition.

"The U.N. Secretary-General [Ban Ki-Moon] believes that the formation [Monday] of a new Cabinet in Lebanon, following months of consultations under the auspices of President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, is an important step toward establishing a functional, executive government in Lebanon," Ban said in a statement issued by his office Monday.

"The Secretary-General looks forward to the finalization, as soon as possible, of the new government's platform. He expects the government of Lebanon to reiterate its commitment to the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 and to all of Lebanon's international obligations."

Security Council Resolution 1701 ended the 2006, 34-day war with Israel and calls for the disarming of all non-state factions.

The STL, established by resolution 1757, is widely expected to indict Hezbollah figures in the murder, pushing the March 8 camp to demand that Lebanon freeze its cooperation with the "politicized tribunal" and cease its tribunal funding.

Mikati has vowed to abide by all of Lebanon's international commitments, in a clear reference to the STL, although it remains unclear what will happen once the as-yet secret indictment is released.

According to the National News Agency, Mikati left for Saudi Arabia Tuesday to perform Umrah, a pilgrimage to Islam's holiest sites in Mecca, considered a religious obligation of all Muslims at least once in their lifetime.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have so far refrained from making public statements regarding the Cabinet, which will have to draft a policy statement before seeking a parliamentary vote of confidence, needed to formalize the new ministerial lineup.

Source: The Daily Star