Page 58 - 111117

Groton Daily Independent
Saturday, Nov. 114, 2017 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 125 ~ 58 of 66
Arabia and other Gulf countries ordered their citizens to leave the country amid the soaring tensions. Dozens of citizens of Gulf Arab countries were seen leaving Lebanon early Friday via Beirut’s international airport. In remarks to reporters while ying from China to Vietnam, Tillerson said Washington “supports the
stability of Lebanon and is opposed to any actions that could threaten that stability.”
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also said it’s essential that Lebanon remain peaceful, warning
that a new con ict could have “devastating consequences” in the region.
Hariri’s appointment as prime minister and the formation of a government was a result of a tacit agree-
ment between Iran and Saudi Arabia to sideline Lebanon from other regional proxy wars, particularly in neighboring Syria.
Iran is widely seen to have prevailed over mainly Sunni rebels in Syria, and with the wars in Yemen and the crisis in Qatar at an impasse, the Saudi crown prince may have decided to try to curb Iran’s in uence in Lebanon.
It is unclear what Saudi Arabia’s long-term calculation is with Hariri. So far, it appears to have united the Lebanese against the kingdom, with most people seeing the incident as an affront and a humiliation for him. Any Saudi military moves in Lebanon would likely be opposed by the international community, which wants to see Lebanon remain calm. Many fear an escalation will pave the way for Israel to strike Hezbol- lah. The two have fought a number of wars, but there appears to be no immediate indication of an attack. There is concern that Saudi Arabia could impose punitive measures that would hurt Lebanon’s fragile
economy.
Lebanese of cials are acting with caution, insisting on Hariri’s return before starting the complicated task
of forming a new government.
In his speech, Nasrallah said Saudi Arabia is punishing Lebanon’s people instead of his group. He said
the kingdom has shifted its attention to Lebanon after a failed 30-month war in Yemen and with Saudi- backed rebels in Syria suffering setbacks.
“If you think that you can defeat Lebanon, the resistance (Hezbollah) ... then you are wrong, mistaken and will fail, the way you did in all arenas,” Nasrallah said.
Without providing any proof, Nasrallah said that Saudi Arabia had asked Israel to attack Hezbollah in return for billions of dollars.
Nasrallah said war with Israel is unlikely amid the Hariri crisis, adding that the group is watching care- fully for any Israeli attempts to use it to begin hostilities against Lebanon. He said Israel is cautious and unlikely to make such a move.
Still, he warned Israel against “miscalculation” or “taking advantage of the situation.”
___
Associated Press writers Sylvie Corbet and Angela Charlton in Paris, Josh Lederman in Washington and
Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed.
US Air Force of cial: Missile targeting Saudis was Iranian By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran manufactured the ballistic missile red by Yemen’s Shiite rebels toward the Saudi capital and remnants of it bore “Iranian markings,” the top U.S. Air Force of cial in the Mideast said Friday, backing the kingdom’s earlier allegations.
The comments by Lt. Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, who oversees the Air Force’s Central Command in Qatar, further internationalizes the yearslong con ict in Yemen — the Arab world’s poorest country.
Saudi Arabia long has accused Iran of giving weapons to the Shiite rebels known as Houthis and their allies, though Tehran has just as long denied supplying them. Riyadh quickly backed up Harrigian’s allega- tions in a statement to The Associated Press.
“There have been Iranian markings on those missiles,” Harrigian told journalists at a news conference in Dubai ahead of the Dubai Air Show. “To me, that connects the dots to Iran.”
There was no immediate reaction from Tehran.
Saudi Arabia says it shot down the missile Nov. 4 near Riyadh’s international airport, the deepest yet to