Sleiman Frangieh: Minister Kordahi Was Wronged

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Against the backdrop of the Gulf states' reaction to the Lebanese Minister of Information George Kordahi's statements on the war on Yemen, Marada Movement leader, Sleiman Frangieh, said on Saturday that Kordahi was wronged and that he supports him.

Frangieh continued to say that "if the government resigns, we will not be able to form a new cabinet before the end of the President's term," adding that he is not after any gain from all the ongoing events. "I will not accept offering George Kordahi as a scapegoat," he stressed.

Frangieh stated that he refused Kordahi's suggestion to resign from Bkerki (the Patriarchal Seat) or Baabda (the Presidential Palace), because he committed no wrong, highlighting that dealing arrogantly with others is unacceptable.

"We refuse any inferior treatment from any side," Marada Movement leader stressed. 

Frangieh also affirmed that no one is after any problems with Saudi Arabia, but preserving people's dignity is a priority to maintain.

“If Kordahi resigns or is dismissed, we will not name a successor,” he tersely warned.

Kordahi's statements

Frangieh's remarks came after a Saudi campaign targeting Kordahi was launched following statements of his dating back to a few months in which he described the war on Yemen on a TV show as “futile” and said that the Yemeni Ansar Allah Movement "has been defending itself in the face of external aggression against Yemen for years."

With his statements widely circulated on social media, Lebanese media outlets claimed, according to what they called "Saudi sources", that Lebanon is facing a severe diplomatic crisis because of Kordahi's statements.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Nayef Falah Mubarak al-Hajraf, expressed his complete rejection of Kordahi's statements about the Yemeni war and called on him to apologize.

Responding to the wave of criticism he received, the Lebanese Minister stated on Wednesday that "it is not permissible in Lebanon to remain subject to blackmail from countries, ambassadors, or individuals."

Kordahi also accused "those who defend freedom of opinion and media" of launching a campaign of baseless accusations against him.

On Tuesday, Minister Kordahi explained through a thread of tweets that this TV appearance was on August 5, a month before he was appointed as minister in Prime Minister Najib Mikati's government.

Social media users launched a broad campaign in solidarity with Kordahi and demanded that he remain in his position.

It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait, have summoned their ambassadors to Lebanon for consultations while asking the ambassadors of Lebanon in their countries to leave within 48 hours.

Saudi Arabia also decided to stop all Lebanese imports into the Kingdom.

For his part, a member of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, called for an emergency meeting and a decision to ban Saudi products from entering Yemen, in response to the crisis surrounding Kordahi's statements.