It seems that Lebanon is determined to defend his oil wealth against Israel’s “War of Oil”, with the government is unifying effort to prevent the Zionist entity from launching an aggression on its oil and gas fields.

Source: Lebanese Daily As-Safir

It seems that Lebanon is determined to defend his oil wealth against Israel’s “War of Oil”, with the government is unifying effort to prevent the Zionist entity from launching an aggression on its oil and gas fields.

The Lebanese daily as-Safir reported on Friday that the Parliament is likely to discuss the recent dispute when it meets on August 3 and 4.
The newspaper added that MPs from major parliamentary blocs could be tasked with preparing a draft-law that confirms Lebanon’s economic and maritime rights.

In this context, the head of the parliamentary public works committee Mohammed Qabbani held talks with Premier Najib Miqati.
“Our objective is to establish a full coordination between parliament and the government to prepare draft laws” on the issue, Qabbani told As Safir.
“Our priority now is to issue a law that delimits the maritime boundaries and the economic exclusive zone”, Qabbani added.

BASSIL: MARITIME BORDERS PRIORITY FOR GOVERNMENT
For his part, Energy Minister Jebran Bassil confirmed also to the daily that the dispute is a priority for the cabinet.
“The achievements that haven’t been made between 2007 and 2011 were made in a couple of weeks”, Bassil said, adding that if the government continued in the same direction, “this will be a huge success for the government”.

“If the United Nations is unable to implement international law, then it will set precedents that permit the violation of maritime borders across the world”.

WILLIAMS: DISPUTE “THREAT TO STABILITY”
On the other hand, the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said Thursday that the dispute between Lebanon and Israel could be considered as “threat to the stability” in the region.

During a session at the UN Security Council to discuss the Secretary General’s report on the international resolution 1701, Williams said that both Lebanon and Israel have sent documents about their maritime borders to the UN.
However, “it’s difficult for the U.N. to find a way forward here”, since the two rivals “don’t have diplomatic relations”, Williams added.

The Special Coordinator pointed out that Lebanon has postponed the settlement of the maritime borders issue or seven years.

WESTERN SOURCES: U.S. ENVOY ASSIGNED TO FOLLOW UP THE ISSUE
Meanwhile, the daily quoted western sources in Beirut as saying that the deputy of American Middle East envoy George Mitchell, Frederick Hoff, has made consecutive visits to Lebanon.

The sources added that Hoff, accompanied by experts in cadastral maps, was officially assigned to follow up the maritime borders issue, in a clear significance that Washington has been interested in the oil and gas in the region.
“This also indicates”, as-Safir further added, “that the U.S. is keen to find a secure and stable medium for its investments in the region”.

The sources also said that the basic role for Hoff “is to prevent the upgrowth of maritime Shebaa Farms”.

SALAM: 8000 ISRAELI VIOLATIONS
For his part, the permanent Lebanese delegate in the U.N. Nawwaf Salam, accused Israel of” unilaterally and illegally placing floats in the Lebanese territorial waters”.
Salam stressed that the U.N. should deter Israel from breaching the Lebanese territorial waters and its rights in its exclusive economic zone.

During the UNSC session, Salam voiced the Lebanese commitment to implement the 1701 resolution, stressing that the Zionist entity “doesn’t obey the resolution as it has violated the Lebanese sovereignty for more than 8000 times since the resolution was imposed in 2006”.