Saudis give up on Lebanon mediation talks

[IScreamSundays]

Source: CNN


Saudis drop effort to mediate Lebanon crisis, foreign minister says

Beirut, Lebanon (CNN) -- Prince Saud al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia's minister of foreign affairs, said Wednesday that his country had abandoned mediation talks to resolve Lebanon's political crisis that caused the government's collapse last week.

Al-Faisal made the comments in an interview with state-run Saudi TV in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt where he was attending an Arab economic summit to discuss economic challenges facing Arab nations. He also described the political situation in Lebanon as "dangerous."

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Assad have been personally involved in an attempt to resolve Lebanon's political crisis, the Saudi foreign minister said.

But when no agreement was near the Saudi king "lifted his hands and kept away from the negotiations," al-Faisal said.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/01/19/lebanon.saudis/

[leveymg]

1. Interesting - as a key UN vote nears to recognize Palestinian statehood, the Lebanese gov't falls -

escalating the threat of war in the region. Now, the Saudis walk away.

Escalation on a timetable.