{"id":11291,"date":"2017-11-10T04:11:57","date_gmt":"2017-11-10T04:11:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wilayah.info\/en\/?p=11291"},"modified":"2017-11-10T04:11:57","modified_gmt":"2017-11-10T04:11:57","slug":"macron-in-saudi-arabia-for-questions-as-hariri-remains-in-shadows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wilayah.info\/en\/macron-in-saudi-arabia-for-questions-as-hariri-remains-in-shadows\/","title":{"rendered":"Macron in Saudi Arabia for \u2018questions\u2019 as Hariri remains in shadows"},"content":{"rendered":"
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French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Saudi Arabia for hastily scheduled talks with the kingdom\u2019s leaders about a puzzling political crisis involving Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who resigned from his job in a live broadcast from Riyadh, where he is claimed to be held against his will.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On his debut visit to the kingdom, Macron landed in Riyadh on Thursday night and met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud who welcomed him at the airport.<\/p>\n

The French head of state announced the surprise visit at a press conference in Dubai earlier in the day, wrapping up a two-day stop in the United Arab Emirates on his debut Middle East tour.<\/p>\n

Macron said he wanted to discuss \u201cregional questions\u201d with the ambitious Saudi crown prince and \u201cemphasize the importance of Lebanese stability and integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy wish is that all Lebanese political officials live freely in Lebanon… which means having a very demanding stance on those who could threaten any leader,\u201d the French president said, ostensibly\u00a0referring to Hariri\u2019s claim that he could not return to Lebanon because his life was in danger there.<\/p>\n

The Lebanese PM said in his resignation statement on Saturday that the post was no longer tenable for him due to what he called intervention by Lebanese resistant movement Hezbollah and Iran.<\/p>\n

Lebanese officials believe Hariri is under house arrest and Saudis have forced him to resign in order to wreck his government, which is on good terms with Hezbollah and Tehran. Two anonymous US officials told Reuters that the Saudis had indeed \u201cencouraged\u201d Hariri to leave office.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s speculation that Hariri is being held among scores of princes, officials and prominent businessmen detained by the Saudi authorities in Salman\u2019s apparent attempt to purge dissent<\/a> before taking power.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n
PressTV-Lebanon believes Saad Hariri \u2018being held\u2019 in Saudi Arabia<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A top Lebanese official calls for foreign pressure to secure the return of Hariri, who is believed to \u201cheld\u201d in Saudi Arabia.<\/a><\/div>\n

Macron, whose country maintains close ties with Lebanon as a former colony, admitted that he had informal contacts with Hariri but denied speculations that he was in the kingdom to negotiate the Lebanese official\u2019s transfer to France.<\/p>\n

Two French diplomats told Reuters that they were not aware of any plans to bring Hariri to France.<\/p>\n

However, an unnamed Lebanese official confirmed Thursday that the country had already asked \u201cforeign and Arab states\u201d to return Hariri to Beirut.<\/p>\n

Hariri\u2019s whereabouts<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the five days that have passed since Hariri\u2019s strange resignation, his status and whereabouts have been the subject of heated speculation.<\/p>\n

While his closest allies in the Future Movement Party have been desperately asking for his return, Hariri\u2019s aides say they have hardly spoken to him.<\/p>\n