A Lebanese ministerial source denies any link between the preparatory meeting for the Lebanese Army support conference and the next round of negotiations.
A Lebanese ministerial source affirmed that there is no connection between the preparatory meeting for the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces support conference and the upcoming round of negotiations in Rome, noting that the preparatory meeting is scheduled for 16 and 17 of this month and arranged independently of the negotiating track.
The source said that the date of the Rome conference has not yet been set, and added that if it is decided to hold it after the preparatory meeting for the military support conference, that would be to allow the president to follow up on both the preparatory meeting and the negotiations simultaneously, and not as a result of any link between the two events.
MP Fadi Alameh, chairman of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said that supporting the Lebanese Army has become an urgent priority, especially given talk of the end of UNIFIL's mandate and the possible vacuum this could leave in the south, as there is no institution capable of bearing these responsibilities other than the Lebanese Army.
Alameh stressed that relying on the Army must be accompanied by real and tangible support, saying: We hear of meetings, initiatives and conferences devoted to supporting the Army, but what is needed is for that to quickly become concrete steps and real resources, so that it is not burdened with additional responsibilities without being provided what it needs to carry them out.
Alameh said that the Rome negotiations track has so far shown no positive results or clear progress, and suggested that the delay is linked to requirements or developments in the region.
Political sources familiar with the course of negotiations see that the results of the military support track can be reflected practically in the strength of Lebanon's position when the next round comes around.
The sources said that the file on supporting the Lebanese Army is directly linked to its ability to carry out the tasks required of it in the south, and therefore determining the scale of support and resources that will be put at its disposal is a fundamental element in Lebanon's approach to the coming phase.
The sources believed that holding the military support conference before the Rome conference remains logical and likely, as it could form a lever for Lebanon's position in the negotiations.
Military sources affirm that the Army has been subjected over the past roughly 10 days to a systematic campaign from the Israeli side on both the media and political levels.
The military sources said that the Israeli side is playing on strings of sedition in different ways, at times attempting to set the Army against its people, at times between it and the international community, and once more between it and the political authority.
