MANAMA: US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is to reaffirm America’s role as a guarantor of stability in the Middle East, in a policy speech before Arab leaders on Saturday.
Mattis, who arrived in Bahrain on Friday, will address the Manama Dialogue.
He will reiterate “our long-term commitment to ensuring and helping these partners and allies... reinstill stability in a very chaotic region,” said Principal Deputy Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Katie Wheelbarger.
He will call on Arab nations to “continue to look to the United states as your security partner of choice because you can rely on us and depend on us to be there long term,” Wheelbarger added.
The defense secretary’s speech comes as Russia keeps up its military intervention in Syria and Washington accuses Tehran of sowing instability across the region.
The UN-backed political process in Syria has suffered in the face of parallel efforts led by Russia, Turkey and Iran, and as the Syrian military has progressively regained control of most of the country.
The UN Security Council was meeting on Friday to discuss Syria, diplomatic sources said, as no progress appears to have been made with Damascus on establishing a post-war constitution.
Outgoing UN envoy Staffan de Mistura on Wednesday traveled to the Syrian capital to seek the regime’s approval of a UN-backed constitutional committee that has been on the cards for months.
But after a “long” meeting with Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, De Mistura disclosed only that they had “a very frank and very intense exchange of opinions.”
Muallem stressed that creating a new constitution must be a Syrian-led process and ruled out “any foreign interference.”
De Mistura was expected to participate in the US-requested meeting via video link, the diplomatic sources said.
The Italian-Swedish diplomat announced last week he would step down at the end of November, but would first seek to overcome Syrian reluctance to form the UN-backed constitutional committee.
The new constitution is seen as a stepping stone to staging elections in Syria, where more than 360,000 people have been killed since war erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-regime protests.
The uprising has since morphed into a complex conflict with myriad armed groups, some of whom are foreign-backed.
The Security Council meeting falls on the eve of a summit convening leaders from Turkey, Russia, France and Germany.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with US leader Donald Trump to coordinate strategy, according to the Elysee.
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Mattis to assure Arab states of US role in Bahrain speech
Mattis to assure Arab states of US role in Bahrain speech
- The UN-backed political process in Syria has suffered in the face of parallel efforts led by Russia, Turkey and Iran, and as the Syrian military has progressively regained control of most of the country
Lebanon says France to host conference to support army
- Lebanon said Wednesday that a conference in support of the country’s army as it seeks to disarm militant group Hezbollah would take place in Paris on March 5
BEIRUT: Lebanon said Wednesday that a conference in support of the country’s army as it seeks to disarm militant group Hezbollah would take place in Paris on March 5.
The announcement follows recent promises of support to the military, which lacks funds, equipment and technical expertise.
Presidency spokeswoman Najat Charafeddine said President Joseph Aoun met French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, Saudi envoy Yazid bin Farhan and ambassadors including from the US, Egypt and Qatar, discussing preparations for “a conference to support the Lebanese army and internal security forces.”
“It was decided to hold the conference in Paris on March 5, to be opened by French President Emmanuel Macron,” she said at the presidential palace.
Under US pressure and fearing expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon has committed to disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which was badly weakened in more than a year of hostilities with Israel that largely ended in late 2024.
Last week, Lebanon’s army said it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm the group, covering the area south of the Litani river, around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border.
A plan for the disarmament north of the Litani is to be presented to cabinet next month.
Israel, which accuses Hezbollah or rearming, has criticized the army’s progress as insufficient, while Hezbollah has rejected calls to surrender its weapons.
Lebanon’s army has dismantled tunnels and other military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah near the Israeli border in recent months, seizing weapons and ammunition, despite its limited capacities.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah, and has maintained troops in five south Lebanon areas it deems strategic.
Last month, talks with international envoys in Paris touched on the Lebanese army’s needs, while its chief agreed to document its progress in disarming Hezbollah.
The announcement follows recent promises of support to the military, which lacks funds, equipment and technical expertise.
Presidency spokeswoman Najat Charafeddine said President Joseph Aoun met French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, Saudi envoy Yazid bin Farhan and ambassadors including from the US, Egypt and Qatar, discussing preparations for “a conference to support the Lebanese army and internal security forces.”
“It was decided to hold the conference in Paris on March 5, to be opened by French President Emmanuel Macron,” she said at the presidential palace.
Under US pressure and fearing expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon has committed to disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which was badly weakened in more than a year of hostilities with Israel that largely ended in late 2024.
Last week, Lebanon’s army said it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm the group, covering the area south of the Litani river, around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border.
A plan for the disarmament north of the Litani is to be presented to cabinet next month.
Israel, which accuses Hezbollah or rearming, has criticized the army’s progress as insufficient, while Hezbollah has rejected calls to surrender its weapons.
Lebanon’s army has dismantled tunnels and other military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah near the Israeli border in recent months, seizing weapons and ammunition, despite its limited capacities.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah, and has maintained troops in five south Lebanon areas it deems strategic.
Last month, talks with international envoys in Paris touched on the Lebanese army’s needs, while its chief agreed to document its progress in disarming Hezbollah.
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