Berri 'surprised' by pilot zones in framework deal after agreeing with Aoun on districts
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said he is ready to reach a settlement if the other side shows a similar willingness, while describing a proposed framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel as an "agreement of sedition."
In remarks published Thursday by Ad-Diyar newspaper, Berri revealed that he had previously reached an understanding with President Joseph Aoun to demand that any Israeli withdrawal be executed based on administrative districts rather than "pilot zones" and that he was later surprised that the finalized framework agreement ultimately adopted the pilot zones mechanism instead.
Berri said Hezbollah is prepared to withdraw from south of the Litani River, concurrent with a complete Israeli withdrawal, and to integrate its weapons "across all of Lebanon" within the framework of the Lebanese state.
The Speaker accused Israel of seeking to drag the Lebanese Army into a confrontation with Hezbollah, but stressed that this scenario will not materialize, as the Lebanese people understand the danger of being drawn into internal strife, and "neither the Army nor the Resistance will be pushed into serving Israeli goals."
"Safeguarding internal stability and preventing political disputes from spilling over into the streets" remains the absolute priority for the Speaker, who told Ad-Diyar that "Lebanon needs an international umbrella" to help it achieve a settlement. "This umbrella must include the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, as they constitute the essential guarantee for any viable settlement."
Source: Naharnet
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