Report: US-French-Saudi plan gives Lebanon 16-month grace period

A U.S.-French-Saudi plan presented by French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian to Lebanese officials calls for supporting the army and extending the grace period given to Lebanon to 16 months that end with the termination of UNIFIL’s mission in Lebanon, the PSP’s al-Anbaa news portal reported on Friday.

“This means that the government’s welcoming of the Lebanese Army’s plan in the Sep. 5 session was not a retreat nor a compromise, but rather confirmation of the decisions of the Aug. 5 and 7 sessions with international support and embracement and a more diplomatic language,” al-Anbaa added.

Le Drian’s talks in Lebanon “apparently carried foreign satisfaction with the Lebanese government’s decisions, accompanied by a plan of additional military and economic support that enables the government to continue the implementation of its security and reform plans,” the news portal said.

“The five-nation group that supports Lebanon and the countries sponsoring the ceasefire agreement have agreed to give the Lebanese army and government an additional 16-month grace period during which the Lebanese Army extends its control over all military posts in Lebanon and completes the plan of removing or containing illegal weapons, including Hezbollah’s arms,” al-Anbaa reported.

In his meetings, Le Drian focused on the ongoing preparations for holding an international conference for supporting the Lebanese Army in November, with approval and attendance from the U.S., France and Saudi Arabia, after the U.S. Congress approved $14.2 million for supporting the army, unnamed sources told al-Anbaa.