Hariri to Ahmadinejad: Lebanon won't join axis

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri told Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad his country would not join the regional axis, members of the Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc told Lebanese daily An Nahar on Friday. The regional alliance currently consists of only Iran and Syria. According to the sources, during Ahmadinejad's two-day visit to Lebanon this week, Hariri told him that the Lebanese "coexistence formula" does not allow Lebanon to join a regional axis and that such steps require consultations among the Lebanese parties "The values of the Lebanese formula, with all its sectarian components, are the strongest weapon, not to mention that confronting Israel requires high-level economic capabilities," Hariri was quoted as saying. Hariri told members of his parliamentary bloc that Ahmadinejad had invited him to Tehran and referred to the talks with the Iranian leader as "friendly, positive and frank." According to the sources, Hariri denied that Ahmadinejad had suggested a political initiative regarding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, noting that bilateral talks focused on the priority of preserving stability in Lebanon through calm dialogue among the Lebanese and through searching for solutions. Hariri clarified that "the culture of confronting Israel has long since been deep-rooted in the minds of the Lebanese since and they are the ones who have suffered the highest prices and sacrifices in this confrontation in order to support the Arabs' main cause - the Palestinian cause," the sources added. Addressing a mass rally in south Lebanon Thursday, Ahmadinejad said, "I thank you for your courage and for besting swords and tanks with your determination and willpower. You have proven that the Lebanese nation and its resistance are more powerful than the swords of Zionists." (19,50)