After a journey that began on September 21, 2022, in New York, the Quintet Committee for Lebanon has reached a turning point that will lead to it becoming a Quadrilateral with the exit of the United States. According to information obtained by "Newspaper of the Nation" from diplomatic sources, the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa Johnson, indicated in a political meeting a few days ago that her country is convinced of the necessity of withdrawing from the committee. She justified this position as a result of an assessment of the aim set for its work, which is "to hold presidential elections." It has become clear after more than a year and five months that this goal has not been achieved and appears currently unachievable.
Additionally, it is reported that Ambassador Johnson only mentioned the transformation of the committee into a "Quadrilateral," which means she did not imply that the U.S. withdrawal would end the committee's work. It is still unclear whether the meeting held by the "Quintet" yesterday, with Johnson participating along with the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, will be her last participation.
It is worth noting that the committee began as a Triad in 2022 when representatives from the United States, France, and Saudi Arabia met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the Lebanese file. Subsequently, a statement was issued by the foreign ministers of these three countries expressing "their countries' continued support for the sovereignty, security, and stability of Lebanon, and encouraging the Lebanese parliament to elect a new president." The statement also confirmed the three ministers’ stance on several issues related to "reforms, forming a new government, supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces, and implementing international resolutions: 1559, 1701, 1680, and 2650." After that, the committee's membership expanded to include Qatar and Egypt.
In a related context, it seems that the "National Moderation Bloc" initiative has been thwarted at its inception by the Shiite duo, specifically by Speaker of the House Nabih Berri, after his political assistant, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, dismissed it outright, stating that "dialogue must result from an invitation extended to the heads of the blocs in the parliament and agreed upon in advance, rather than being a spontaneous assembly and meetings in the parliament." He affirmed that "no one is demanding that we abandon our candidate"... just days before the long-awaited meeting between the bloc and "Hezbollah."
Information suggests that Khalil's swift action to obstruct the ambitions of the "bloc," which previously had the blessing of President Berri and was announced before the ambassadors of the Quintet, is due to the dissatisfaction of "Mada Movement" leader Suleiman Franjieh with this movement, which is clearly aimed at opening the door for a third candidate. This was evident from the meeting that brought together the "National Moderation Bloc" and the deputies of the "Independent National Bloc," which includes MP Tony Franjieh.
Opinions vary regarding Berri's true stance on this movement, with some considering it a way to step down from an impasse in light of Suleiman Franjieh's chances, while others view it as a mere time-buying scheme. However, it is certain that Franjieh's discomfort has scrambled the initiative and returned the ball to Berri's court.
