Members of Lebanon’s of Hezbollah Shi’ite Muslim movement carry the coffin of a comrade in the village of Haret Al-Fikani, in the Beka’a valley, on May 23, 2013. (AFP PHOTO/STR)

French and German officials signaled on Wednesday that they would support the move, following an appeal from the UK, reversing the previous position of both governments on the issue.

“We are calling for Europe to respond collectively and robustly following the atrocious terrorist attack at Burgas airport…. We firmly believe that an appropriate EU response would be to designate Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist organization,” a spokesman for Britain’s Foreign Office said on Tuesday.

A bomb attack at Burgas in Bulgaria in July 2012 killed 5 Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver, as well as one of the men suspected of carrying out the attack. Bulgarian officials blamed Hezbollah for being behind the attack, an allegation the organization denies.

British authorities also cited the recent conviction of a Lebanese–Swedish man in Cyprus on charges of preparing for a terrorist attack on the island on behalf of Hezbollah.

Speaking on Wednesday, German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle said that he backed the designation for “at least the military wing” of Hezbollah.

His French counterpart, Laurent Fabius, told AFP that France concurred with this decision, while at a Friends of Syria meeting in Jordan.

He said: “Given the decisions taken by Hezbollah and the fact that it has fought very hard against the Syrian population, I confirm that France will propose to inscribe the military wing of Hezbollah on the list of terrorist organizations”.

France had previously opposed such a move for fear of destabilizing Lebanon, where Hezbollah is a major political force, and out of fears for the safety of French troops serving as UN peacekeepers in the country.

The decision will be considered by the EU’s official working group on terrorist organizations in early June, and then at a meeting of EU member-state foreign ministers later in the month.

If it succeeds, EU member-states will be required to sever all ties with the Lebanese organization’s military wing, and prevent fundraising on its behalf in their territory.

However, the measure faces some serious obstacles. Aside from the fact that it will require the unanimous assent of all 27 member-states in order to be adopted, experts say it is not clear that Hezbollah’s ‘military wing’ can be meaningfully distinguished from its political operations in Lebanon, where it is a political party with ministers in government.

“I don’t know if that makes any sense or you really can say there’s a political wing and a terrorist wing,” Sylke Tempel, editor-in-chief of Internationale Politik, the journal published by the German Council on Foreign Relations, told the New York Times. “They belong together like my left leg and my right leg.”

File photo of Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatari Assistant Minister for International Cooperation, at the 2013 Doha Forum. (Doha Forum)

Doha, Asharq Al-Awsat—Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatari Assistant Minister for International Cooperation, has defended his country’s support of Arab Spring states, emphasizing that Qatar has no hidden agenda and is only serving national and humanitarian interests.

In a meeting with Arab journalists on the sidelines of the 2013 Doha Forum, he acknowledged that change is coming and that openness requires the implementation of principles, such as human rights.

Sheikh Ahmad stressed that governments which took power in Arab Spring countries had inherited significant economic and social problems from the corrupt dictatorships they ousted, adding that they should be given time to resolve these.

He said it was important for tensions to be reduced in these countries, particularly by involving international institutions—such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)—and allowing intellectuals and economists to contribute to help find solutions.

Sheikh Ahmad emphasized that the current situation requires new economic theories, following the failure of socialism and capitalism to bring prosperity to the world.

He said: “I think that these theories have not been formed yet, and we hope intellectuals and economists will contribute to this through their ideas during this forum.”

“We must not forget that the spread of poverty and unemployment, the lack of good living standards, and the violation of human rights under systems of government characterized by totalitarianism, oppression and corruption, were the driving force behind Arab revolutions which aimed at public participation in making political and economic decisions,” Sheikh Ahmad added.

He pointed to difficulties in implementing democracy saying, “There is a crisis but we only have the western model for democracy. Each country has its own values, peculiarities, identity, and demographic structure,” adding, “the gradual implementation of democracy is what Qatar currently needs.”

The Qatari Assistant Minister for International Cooperation also pointed to the growing number of civil institutions in the Arab world, stressing that this is essential for democratic development.

Sheikh Ahmad noted that Qatar has held regular forums under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to build bridges.

He said: “There are forums related to America and the Muslim world. There is a forum in Doha to inform policy makers in America about the other view in the Arab world, and to build bridges between Muslims and the United States, in order to avoid the view that Islam is the next threat to the West.”

On coordination between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states on democracy, he said: “There is no coordination between GCC member states on the implementation of democracy, or on human rights, because each state has its own views and private policies, not to mention each peoples’ aspirations. It is not possible to coordinate on this issue. Kuwait for instance, is ahead on the parliamentary side and Qatar is taking a different direction, as have the other states, but we must nevertheless benefit from the experiences of others.”

Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Jaber Al Thani also issued the closing remarks at the Doha Forum yesterday, characterizing the event as a success.

He said: “We have benefited from a rich exploration and discussion on a range of issues of global interests…we have received the thoughts and observations from current heads of state and heads of government, from former political leaders and from leading experts from around the world; all of whom have contributed to what makes the Doha Forum such an important event.”

“We all know that the world is becoming more interconnected, that we face problems that do not respect national boundaries nor regional areas. So many of the challenges we face are global in nature and the range of contributors reflected this fundamental aspect,” he added.

Men (front row) accused of smuggling weapons from Iran sit in the court room of a state security court for their first hearing, in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden on April 23, 2013. (REUTERS/Yaser Hasan)

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, a senior Yemeni official confirmed that smugglers are utilizing Red Sea islands in their criminal activities, including Iranians smuggling arms to the Shi’ite Houthi rebels in northern Yemen.

“Many of the small islands in the Red Sea are unpopulated, and therefore it is easy for large ships to unload their cargo there, with this later being smuggled into Yemen on smaller fishing boats,” he said.
The Yemeni official stressed that arms are being smuggled into the country for two main reasons: first, for political and security reasons—namely in order to destabilize the post-Arab Spring state—and, second, for financial benefit.

He also warned that “some of the arms smuggled into Yemen are subsequently redirected into neighboring countries.”

Yemen has seized a number of ships that were being used to smuggle arms into the country via its western and southern coasts. Yemeni authorities have confiscated large quantities of weapons, reportedly including sophisticated weapons headed to the Houthi rebels in Sa’ada governorate.

The Yemeni coastguard intercepted the Iranian-registered Jihan ship in its territorial waters earlier this year and is currently in the process of prosecuting nine crew members for “attempting to smuggle sophisticated arms into the country,” according to the official SABA news agency.

According to the indictment against the defendants: “Nine crew members travelled to Iran using forged documents last year, where they received training in the use of arms, explosives, sniper attacks, urban warfare, and advanced naval communication. Following this, they returned to Yemen with over 40 tons of arms, explosives, and ammunition hidden in carefully-concealed compartments of the Jihan, intended to be smuggled into the country.”

The cache of weapons found aboard the Jihan included 20 anti-aircraft missiles, 18 Katyusha rockets, 100 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, RDX and C4 explosives, and a large supply of ammunition.

As for arms smuggled from Africa across the Red Sea and into Yemen, the official noted: “Some arms shipments are smuggled to islands off the coast of Djibouti for storage, and are then later smuggled into Yemen.”

“A number of workshops have been established in Sa’ada governorate to reassemble these arms which originate from places like Iran,” he added.

Commenting on the Yemeni coastguards operation to stop maritime smuggling, the unnamed official emphasized that “the coastguard is doing its best in this regard,” but acknowledged that it is lacking the required equipment and training to effectively combat this.

The Yemeni official called on countries in the region to cooperate to stop the proliferation of arms and the smuggling of weapons into Yemen, adding that it has a negative impact on neighboring states.

Earlier this month, the Yemeni defense minister announced the seizure of a number of trucks carrying illegal Turkish arms in the southern province of Taiz, after the shipment had cleared Mokha Port. This was reportedly the second time in a month—and the sixth time in six months—that Turkish-made weapons were seized in Yemen.

Yemen is suffering from significant maritime security issues, particularly as the country has over 1300 miles of coastline. On April 24, the UNHCR reported that more than 30,000 African refugees had illegally entered the country since the beginning of the year.

Former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as he registers his candidacy during the registration for Iran’s upcoming presidential election on June 14, in Tehran, Iran, on May 11, 2013. (EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH)

The disqualification of the two most controversial candidates, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, by Iran’s Guardian Council earlier this week undercut much of the hype that has surrounded Iran’s forthcoming presidential election, scheduled for June 14.

However, some indications have emerged from inside the halls of power in Iran that the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, might intervene by overruling the Guardian Council, which is charged with interpreting Iran’s constitution and vetting presidential and parliamentary candidates.

Despite this, some analysts say that the warm welcome such an intervention would receive from critics of the ruling, both domestic and foreign, reduces the chances that it will happen.

Rafsanjani’s exclusion made headlines around the world, and the US State Department expressed criticism of election procedure in Iran, accusing the Guardians Council on Wednesday of handpicking candidates “based solely on whom the regime believes will represent its interests, rather than those of the Iranian people.”

Within Iran, the conservative MP Ali Motahari, a member of a prominent political dynasty and a backer of Hashemi Rafsanjani, wrote to Ayatollah Khamenei this week asking him to overrule the decision of the Guardian Council.

In his letter, Motahari ridiculed the Guardian Council’s justification for disqualifying Hashemi Rafsanjani by saying: “If Imam Khomeini too, was to enter the presidential election, the Guardian Council would disqualify him.”

According to Fatemeh Hashemi, the daughter of Hashemi Rafsanjani, “Some officials came to see my father, trying to convince him to withdraw from the race on Tuesday morning.”

She told the Jaras news website that her father said: “I have registered because of many people’s invitation and requests, thus I can’t betray their trust.”

The disqualification of Hashemi Rafsanjani by the Guardian Council is widely believed to have been based on two criteria: his age—at 79, he would have been the oldest candidate—and second, his criticism of the government’s response to the massive protests that followed the disputed elections of 2009, which was labeled by Iran’s hardliners as fetneh (mutiny).

In his letter, Motahari rejected both justifications and warned the supreme leader of the consequences of excluding a man who had played an important role in the Islamic revolution of 1979 that led to the creation of Iran’s existing political system.

He also predicted that the move will substantially decrease public enthusiasm for participating in the election. Ayatollah Khamenei has repeatedly called up Iranians to vote en masse and ensure a high turnout.

Zahra Mostafavi, the daughter of Ayatollah Khomeini, Khamenei’s predecessor and the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, also sent a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei urging him to use the ‘jurisprudence authority’ given to him by the constitution. In her letter, she also reminded the supreme leader of the importance the late Ayatollah Khomeini placed on the alliance between Khamanei and Rafsanjani.

In another development, Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi, an influential hardline cleric, refused to meet with one of the approved candidates, Saeed Jalili, during a trip to holy city of Qom on Tuesday, according to the Alef news website.

Mesbah-Yazdi publicly backed Baqer Lankarani for president, but his preferred choice was rejected by the Guardian Council before the final list was published. It is unclear at this stage if this will cause some of his followers to begin questioning his judgment, following Mesbah-Yazdi’s unreserved support of Ahmadinejad during 2005 and 2009, and his subsequent break with the controversial president.

This development is also likely to be scrutinized in light of the claims that a transfer of power is underway in Iran, away from the existing cleric-dominated establishment and towards a new generation of former military officers and figures associated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, such as Saeed Jalili and Tehran Mayor Mohammad Qalibaf, who was also approved by the Guardian Council.

Syrian opposition leader Ahmed Moaz Al-Khatib (L) meets with Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister Manuel García-Margallo in Madrid on May 21, 2013. (AFP PHOTO/ DANI POZO)

The conference’s final resolution called on the international community to ensure that Assad has “no role in the decisions taken regarding Syria’s transition period or the future of the country.”

The divisions within the fractious opposition movement were obvious to observers at the conference, prompting Syrian National Coalition (SNC) interim president Moaz Al-Khatib to admit that the opposition’s biggest challenge is its lack of unity.

“The revolution’s weakness is that it lacks a political brain,” said Khatib, a former moderate imam of Damascus’s Umayyad Mosque.

“If we can’t overcome this, only one front of the conflict will be open: the international front. We have to unite and coordinate ourselves to overcome this weakness,” he told delegates in Arabic.

Khatib also condemned ties to Al-Qaeda held by some Syrian militias fighting Assad, perhaps the biggest factor in the international community’s reluctance to arm Syria’s rebels.

However, he also said he would be willing to negotiate with groups associated with Al-Qaeda in order “to reorient them,” which is sure to raise alarms in Western capitals that have demanded that the opposition break with terrorist-affiliated militias.

Khatib resigned in March after being criticized for his perceived willingness to negotiate with Assad, and is currently waiting for the nomination of a new leader of the SNC. In Spain, he reiterated his willingness to talk to the Syrian regime to end the war that has killed more than 70,000 people and left more than 1.5 million displaced, as long as it involves Assad stepping down.

The conference follows signals from the international community that it expects Khatib and his followers to do more to unite into a cohesive and credible opposition or risk being sidelined. Accordingly, the SNC and Khatib were not invited to this week’s Friends of Syria conference in Jordan.

The results of this week’s opposition conference are likely to raise doubts about the prospects for success of the international conference proposed for June by Russia and the US, which is intended to seek a political solution to the ongoing Syrian crisis.

The SNC will meet again in Turkey this week, and decide within the next two weeks whether they will participate in proposed US- and Russian-brokered talks that would include representatives of Assad’s regime.

However, if they continue to insist that Assad steps down as a precondition for talks, it is unclear if the Syrian government will be willing to negotiate in earnest.

In this photo provided by Turkish Presidency Press Service, President Abdullah Gul, center, watches as Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince, left, shakes hands with Turkey’s Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz before their talks at the Cankaya Palace in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, May 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Murat Cetinmuhurdar)

Ankara/Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat—On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed a key defense industry agreement.

Crown prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, deputy prime minister and defense minister, witnessed the signing of the bilateral agreement on the first day of his official visit to Turkey.

The agreement was signed by Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, and his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoğlu, in the attendance of Turkish president Abdullah Gül and Saudi crown prince Salman bin Abdulaziz.

The Turkish president and the Saudi crown prince also met yesterday. They discussed bilateral relations between the two countries, in addition to the latest regional and international developments.

On his arrival in Ankara, crown prince Salman had stressed that his visit came as a continuation of the tradition of cooperation and mutual desire to develop and strengthen bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey on issues of common interest.

He emphasized that the two historic visits paid by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, to Turkey in 2006 and 2007 had a huge influence on securing a shift in Saudi-Turkish relations.

Crown prince Salman received Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoğlu at his residence in Ankara yesterday evening. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that they discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, as well as bilateral relations between Riyadh and Ankara and ways of enhancing this in all fields.

The Saudi crown prince also received Turkish defense minister İsmet Yılmaz. The meeting included a discussion of military cooperation between the two countries, and ways to develop this.

Taha Hussein Ganj, adviser to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the Turkish prime minister would update the Saudi crown prince on the results of his recent visit to Washington, particularly regarding the latest developments on the Syrian crisis.

Ganj highlighted the importance of crown prince Salman’s visit to Turkey, saying: “We have waited for this visit for a long time and it is important in terms of strengthening military relations between our two countries. Saudi aircraft have participated in (military) exercises in Konya (in central Anatolia) and Turkish aircraft are currently present in Taif to participate in joint exercises.”

He said: “Relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia are excellent. The exchange of high-level diplomatic visits means that things are progressing rapidly, particularly following the visit paid by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, which was the first of its kind by a senior Saudi official in 40 years.”

“Saudi Arabia and Turkey are major regional countries and when they intervene to help solve issues, they are welcomed because they have no hidden agendas,” he added.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki listens to a question during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)

Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—More than half of all Iraqi MPs boycotted an emergency parliamentary session held yesterday to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the country, further escalating the entrenched political crisis in Baghdad.

Just 140 out of a total of 325 Iraqi parliamentarians attended the special parliamentary session called for by Speaker Osama Al-Nujaifi at the behest of the Ahrar parliamentary bloc, affiliated to the Sadrist Movement. The State of Law coalition bloc, headed by under-fire Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, boycotted the emergency parliamentary session, as did a number of other allied parliamentary blocs.

Prior to the session, Maliki had called for Iraqi MPs to boycott the emergency session, making general accusations against unnamed Iraqi MPs of being directly involved in the latest violence.

Although the major topic of discussion at yesterday’s parliamentary session was the deteriorating security situation in the country, senior defense and interior ministry officials boycotted the emergency session. Local media reported that both Iraqi Defense Minister Saadoun Al-Dulaimi and Deputy Interior Minister Adnan Al-Assadi had boycotted the parliamentary session, along with all other security officials.

Following this latest controversy, along with previous parliamentary dissatisfaction with the security authorities, the first full Iraqi parliamentary session following the legislative break—scheduled for June 18—is expected to see these security officials removed from office following a parliamentary vote of no confidence.

Responding to Maliki’s accusations and calls for a boycott, Iraqi parliamentary Speaker Osama Al-Nujaifi accused the Iraqi prime minister of “recklessness and tyranny.”

Speaking during a press conference following the parliamentary session, Nujaifi characterized Maliki’s calls for MPs not to attend the emergency session as “disregard for the blood of the Iraqi people.”

“We had hoped that the prime minister would have been more courageous and attended parliament to discuss the security breaches and the reasons behind the failure of the security services,” he added.

In an unprecedented move by the parliamentary speaker, Nujaifi accused Maliki of “rebelling” against the constitution and being “indifferent” to the suffering of the Iraqi people.

He stressed, “Maliki has confirmed his rebellion against the constitution by calling on MPs not to attend the emergency parliamentary session and carry out their constitutional duty to discuss the security deterioration in the country,” adding, “this is taking place at a time when a large portion of the armed forces budget is being spent on counter-terrorism to no avail.”

He also confirmed: “The prime minister’s inflammatory statements yesterday and his accusations against parliament (of being involved in terrorism) gives us the right to raise an official complaint to the cabinet,” adding that “we will do this in the coming days.”

Moqtada Al-Sadr had previously warned against the presence of “extremist” voices, among both Iraq’s Sunni and Shi’ite communities, pushing the country towards violence.

He emphasized that Iraq is on the verge of witnessing “imminent sectarian violence.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki had ordered a shakeup of senior security officers on Tuesday evening, following a spate of bombings that have killed more than 380 people over the course of one month.

The office of the prime minister issued an official statement announcing, “After consultation with security officials, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, today (Tuesday) issued orders…for changes in the operations commands and the leadership of the divisions.”

Maliki named Lieutenant Abdulamir Al-Shimari as head of Baghdad’s Operations Command following the sacking of Staff Lieutenant General Ahmed Hashem.

Over the past week more than 200 people have been killed in a wave of car bomb attacks across Iraq. The worst violence took place in Baghdad, where car bombs targeted Shi’ite districts during Monday morning rush hour. A spate of sectarian bombings also struck Iraq on Tuesday; the worst attack seeing a car bomb explode near a Sunni mosque in Baghdad, killing at least 10 people. At least 23 people were reported killed in the newest wave of attacks earlier today.

People demonstrate to demand the country’s National Congress and transitional government ensure the police and the army carry out their jobs, and that militias are dismantled, in Benghazi May 17, 2013. REUTERS/Esam Al-Fetori

Two years after the popular uprising that ended Gaddafi’s 42-year rule, the Tripoli government still exerts little control over brigades of former fighters in the oil-producing country who often take the law into their own hands.

Ashour Shuail, former police chief in the eastern city of Benghazi, was named interior minister late last year to tackle Libya’s most formidable domestic policy challenge – establishing a legitimate, effective national police force. However armed violence persists in wide areas of the North African state.

A ministry source said Shuail had handed in his resignation to Prime Minister Ali Zeidan. “He has been asked by the prime minister and state television for the reason why and on both occasions he said it was for personal reasons.”

A source in Zeidan’s office confirmed the premier had received a resignation letter from Shuail.

Local media quoted interior ministry spokesman Majdi al-Ourfi as saying Shuail would remain on duty until Zeidan accepted his resignation and chose a successor.

Two members of the national assembly told Reuters Zeidan had nominated police Colonel Mohammed Khalifa Sheikh to replace Shuail and asked the congress for approval. “We expect to start voting on this (soon),” one member said.

Awash with weapons in private hands, armed attacks have increased in the last few weeks, especially on police stations in Benghazi. Last month a car bomb devastated France’s embassy in Tripoli, wounding two French guards in the Libyan capital.

Shuail has not publicly spoken about leaving but his move would come after the national assembly passed a law banning anyone who held a senior post under Gaddafi from government, regardless of their part in toppling the dictator.

Shuail worked with the police authority under Gaddafi but defected in the early days of the 2011 uprising. In December he won an appeal clearing him of close ties to Gaddafi’s regime.

Politicians debated the new law for months but the issue came to a head this month when heavily armed groups took control of two ministries during a nearly two-week siege, demanding immediate passage of the bill.

It remains unclear who will be affected by the legislation.

Sheikh, who previously worked in various Tripoli police stations and taught at a training academy, became an adviser on security matters to the national assembly leader. He has also worked at the interior ministry.

In this photo provided by Turkish Presidency Press Service, President Abdullah Gul, right, and Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Saudi Arabia, pose for cameras before their talks at the Cankaya Palace in Ankara, Tuesday, May 21, 2013.(AP Photo/Murat Cetin Muhurdar)

Ankara, Asharq Al-Awsat—Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, emphasized that his visit to Turkey comes as a continuation of the efforts to communicate with Ankara, and out of the mutual desire to promote and consolidate the relationship between the two countries as well as to consult with the Turkish leaders about issues of mutual interest.

Upon his arrival in Ankara yesterday, the Crown Prince announced, “It is my pleasure to express my joy at this visit and to pass the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to his brother Abdullah Gul, the President of Turkey, as well as to the Prime Minister, Recep Tayyib Erdogan, and his wishes for further progress and prosperity of the brotherly Turkish people.

The two historic visits of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Turkey in 2006 and 2007 represented a significant shift in all fields and on all levels in the Saudi-Turkish relations. I would like to express our thanks and gratitude for the warm reception that reflect the depth of our countries’ fraternal, historic and cultural ties. I pray to God to guide us to the well-being of our peoples, countries and the Islamic Ummah”, Prince Salman added.

Prince Salman arrived in Ankara yesterday in an official visit to the Turkish Republic accompanied by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister; Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the head of Crown Prince Court; Dr Musaed Al-Aiban, Minister of State and member of the cabinet; Dr Abdel Aziz Khoja, Information Minister; Dr Muhammed Al-Jasser, Economy and Planning Minister; Dr Abdulrahman Al-Shalhoub, Deputy Chairman of Royal Protocol; and Marshal Abdulrahman Al-Bunian, the Defense Ministry’s Chief of Staff.

The Crown Prince was welcomed by Bekir Bozdag, the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister; Muhammad Ali Olthath, the Deputy Governor of Ankara; Adel Mirdad, the Saudi Ambassador in Ankara; Ahmed Mukhtar Gun, the Turkish Ambassador in Saudi Arabia; ambassadors of the Arab and Islamic countries in Turkey; Abdulaziz Hussein, Deputy Chief of Staff; and Mohammed Al-Shuhail, the Saudi military attaché in Turkey.

The Saudi Royal Court issued a statement yesterday morning announcing the visit of the Crown Prince, “As a continuation of the efforts of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, to communicate with the world’s leaders about everything that serves the interests of the Saudi people as well as the interests of the Arab and Islamic Ummahs; and based on the bonds of friendship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Turkish Republic, the Crown Prince, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, at the invitation of the Turkish President Abdullah Gul, departed to the Turkish Republic in an official visit.”

The Crown Prince was seen off in King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, governor of Makkah province; Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister and adviser and special envoy to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques; Prince Fahd bin Abdullah bin Mohammed, Deputy Minister of Defence; Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah bin Musaed, adviser in the Crown Prince Court; Prince Mishaal bin Majid, the Governor of Jeddah; Prince Nayef bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, adviser to the Minister of Defence; Prince Bandar bin Salman bin Abdulaziz; Dr Majid Al-Qasabi, head of the Crown Prince’s Special Affairs Office and a number of senior commanders and officers from the armed forces, the National Guard, and the Royal Guard Regiment and Police.

Members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah carry the coffin of a comrade during his funeral in Baalbek, in the Lebanese Bekaa valley on May 21, 2013. (AFP PHOTO/STR)

A White House statement said: “President Obama stressed his concern about Hezbollah’s growing and active role in fighting on behalf of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, which contradicted Lebanese government policies.”

The statement added that Obama and Suleiman agreed on the “necessity for all sides to respect Lebanese policy in staying neutral on the Syrian conflict and to avoid actions which could draw Lebanese people into conflict.”

At the same time, former Lebanese prime minister Sa’ad Al-Hariri criticized Hezbollah’s intervention in the conflict.

In a statement, Hariri said: “Where is the national, constitutional and moral responsibility for the crimes committed by a major Lebanese political faction by getting involved in the internal Syrian war, and pushing Lebanon into the bloody war against the Syrian people, and sending hundreds of Lebanese youth to fight alongside the regime’s forces and participating in the invasion of Syrian towns and villages in operations unrivaled in its viciousness, except by the Israeli invasions of Southern Lebanon villages and the Syrian invasion of Lebanon in the 1970s?”

He added that Hezbollah “had chosen to copy Israeli crimes against Lebanon and its people, and apply them to the people of Qusayr and the villages around Homs, and became a spearhead in a crime committed by the regime against its people.”

Pointing to his earlier warning of the “dangers of Hezbollah’s insistence on implicating Lebanon in the Syrian conflict,” he asked: “Where is the president in all this? Where is the caretaker government and its head, where is the speaker of parliament, the parliament as a whole and its parliamentary committees? Where are the army leadership and the security services in all this? Is there a decision not known to the Lebanese people to handover the state, its security, military and constitutional institutions, to Hezbollah?”

“Hezbollah’s war in Qusayr, and inside Syria in general, is a decision to annul the Lebanese state or at best, a declaration by Hezbollah that Lebanon is nothing more than a land without authority, for armed bullies,” Hariri added.