Chehayeb: Syrian envoy is the Lebanese FM

Commenting on the stance of of Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour during the Arab League meeting in Cairo last Wednesday , MP Akram Chehayeb a key member of the National Struggle Front said in an interview with Kuwaiti Newspaper Assyasseh:

“We usually do not pay much attention to what Mansour says , since events have shown that the Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel Karim Ali is acting as the de facto Lebanese Foreign minister”.

The National Struggle Front is headed by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, an outspoken critic of the Syrian regime .

Commenting on the call by March 14 politicians to dismiss Mansour, Chehayeb said:

” dismissing Minister Mansour is a sensitive issue because of the makeup of the of the government and the need for it in the current situation, but PM Nagib Mikati was very clear in his rejection of Mansour’s logic ”

Chehayeb also commented on the warning by the Gulf Cooperation Council:

“The Gulf states wanted to draw the attention of the leadership in Lebanon and specifically president Michel Suleiman to risks for Lebanon when its ministers assume positions that contradict the government’s disassociation policy and when certain politicians who claim leadership in Lebanon offend countries that have done so much to help Lebanon , ” “in reference to MP Michel Aoun who sided with Iran and Hezbollah in his criticism of Bahrain and the Arabian Gulf Countries.