Mansour kept Mikati in the dark over Lebanon vote

Lebanon Prime Minister Nagib Mikati told the ambassadors of the Arabian Gulf states that he was not aware that Lebanon voted against the Arab League resolution to suspend Syria’s membership , al Hayat newspaper reported.

Al Hayat also reported that Mikati told the ambassadors that Lebanese Foreign Affairs minister Adnan Mansor has taken the decision to vote against the measure without consulting with him.

During his visit to Tripoli on Monday Mikati whose cabinet is controlled by Hezbollah tried to justify the vote by saying ” Arab countries “understand” Lebanon’s position at the Arab League meeting on Saturday”, National News Agency quoted him as saying .

“Lebanon’s position regarding what is happening in Syria was taken in a way that takes into consideration the exceptional historic and geographic ties between Lebanon and Syria and which our brotherly Arabs understand.” He added

The Arab League voted Saturday to suspend Syria’s membership in the organization and warned that the country could face sanctions if it did not end its crackdown against anti-government protesters.

Syria, Yemen and Lebanon voted against the measure, while Iraq abstained.

The Lebanese leaders are divided over Lebanon’s vote

Mansour who is a member of the Amal movement a close ally of the Iranian and Syrian backed Hezbollah militant group said on Saturday during the Arab League foreign ministers’ meeting in Cairo that he objected to the League’s decision to suspend Syria because the “decision has dangerous repercussions for Syria and the region.”