Lebanon's president welcomes Hariri's plans to return
Saad Hariri
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese President Michel Aoun  who has refused to accept Saad Hariri’s resignation as prime minister unless  Hariri  returns from Saudi Arabia  welcomed comments from  Hariri  that  he  plans to come home soon  palace sources and visitors said on Monday.
Aoun has said he believes  Hariri  does not have free control over his own movements while in Saudi Arabia  and that this casts doubt on any statements  Hariri  makes. Nevertheless those close to Aoun said  the president  welcomed  Hariri ’s comments.
“President Aoun expressed his pleasure at  Hariri ’s announcement of his return to Lebanon soon ” a source said.
Aoun said that  Hariri  was “leaving all doors open including rescinding  his  resignation”  according to one of a group of visitors who met Aoun. The visitors declined to be identified while discussing the closed-door conversations.
The visitors quoted Aoun as saying that  Hariri ’s remarks showed that the political deal underpinning Lebanon’s coalition government -- which includes both  Hariri ’s Sunni party and the heavily armed Shi‘ite movement Hezbollah -- still stands.
Aoun has been convening high level meetings with Lebanese politicians and diplomats since  Hariri  stepped down  and the visitors said the president believed that  Hariri ’s comments showed such efforts were working.
Nearly 24 hours after  Hariri ’s interview  which appeared on a TV station  he  owns  Hezbollah had still not commented on his remarks. Hezbollah’s allies in Iran said  Hariri ’s remarks gave hope  he  would return to Lebanon.
In  his  resignation speech Hariri  whose father  also a former prime minister  was killed by a bomb in 2005  said  he  feared assassination.  He  said in  his  interview eight days later that  he  was free to leave Saudi Arabia but that  his  movements were also guided by concern for  his  family’s safety.
In a televised statement  Future Movement lawmaker Ammar Houri said it supported  Hariri ’s statement that Lebanon should stay out of regional conflicts and reject Iran’s interference.
Saudi Arabia denies that it coerced  Hariri  into resigning or has kept  him  from leaving. It has accused Lebanon of declaring war on it because of Hezbollah  and has advised Saudi citizens to leave Lebanon. Hezbollah says it was the Saudis who have declared war on Lebanon.
 Hariri ’s comments encouraged a recovery on Monday in Lebanese dollar bonds  which slumped last week.
BEIRUT (Reuters) [TGT]welcomed comments from  Hariri  that  [TGT]  plans to come home soon  palace sources and visitors said on Monday.
[TGT] has said [TGT] believes  Hariri  does not have free control over [TGT] own movements while in Saudi Arabia  and that this casts doubt on any statements  Hariri  makes. Nevertheless those close to [TGT] said  the president  welcomed  Hariri ’s comments.
“President [TGT] expressed [TGT] pleasure at  Hariri ’s announcement of his return to Lebanon soon ” a source said.
[TGT] said that  Hariri  was “leaving all doors open including rescinding  his  resignation”  according to one of a group of visitors who met [TGT]. The visitors declined to be identified while discussing the closed-door conversations.
The visitors quoted [TGT] as saying that  Hariri ’s remarks showed that the political deal underpinning Lebanon’s coalition government -- which includes both  Hariri ’s Sunni party and the heavily armed Shi‘ite movement Hezbollah -- still stands.
[TGT] has been convening high level meetings with Lebanese politicians and diplomats since  Hariri  stepped down  and the visitors said [TGT] believed that  Hariri ’s comments showed such efforts were working.
Nearly 24 hours after  Hariri ’s interview  which appeared on a TV station  he  owns  Hezbollah had still not commented on [TGT] remarks. Hezbollah’s allies in Iran said  Hariri ’s remarks gave hope  he  would return to Lebanon.
In  his  resignation speech Hariri  whose father  also a former prime minister  was killed by a bomb in 2005  said  he  feared assassination.  He  said in  his  interview eight days later that  he  was free to leave Saudi Arabia but that  his  movements were also guided by concern for  his  family’s safety.
In a televised statement  Future Movement lawmaker Ammar Houri said it supported  Hariri ’s statement that Lebanon should stay out of regional conflicts and reject Iran’s interference.
Saudi Arabia denies that it coerced  Hariri  into resigning or has kept  him  from leaving. It has accused Lebanon of declaring war on it because of Hezbollah  and has advised Saudi citizens to leave Lebanon. Hezbollah says it was the Saudis who have declared war on Lebanon.
 Hariri ’s comments encouraged a recovery on Monday in Lebanese dollar bonds  which slumped last week.