Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon: Threats won’t affect our stances

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri has reiterated that his country in committed to its stances in Lebanon amid news information of plans to assassinate the Saudi and Qatari envoys, according to a report by pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.

Asiri told the London-based daily on Wednesday that he is “currently communicating with security officials in Lebanon to check the accuracy of a report carried on one of the Arabic newspapers regarding assassination plots that quoting western intelligence sources.”

The diplomat said his personal and Saudi’s embassy in Lebanon’s security are the responsibility of Lebanese authorities, adding that this is not the first time such information has come about, which is worrisome.

"These threats and challenges will not affect Saudi stances towards Lebanon (and will not deter us) from supporting its political legitimacy," Asiri said.

Meanwhile, a high-ranking Lebanese security source denied that the Lebanese authorities have any information on such assassination attempts, adding: "The size of security threat has not changed," according to Asharq al-Awsat.

"The Lebanese authorities are committed to carrying out their duties of protecting embassies and protecting Arab friendly presence (in the country), and they have not and will not fail to carry out their duties," the source added.

Meanwhile, Lebanese politician Wiam Wahhab said in a tweet he wrote Wednesday that Qatar will be targeted in what appears to be a reaction to Qatar’s foreign minister stating that the Gulf country could possibly intervene militarily in Syria.

“If Qatar implements its military threats in Syria, Doha is going to be shelled,” Wahhab, who leads the pro-Hezbollah Tawhid Party, wrote on his twitter account without explaining by whom.

The article first appeared in Asharq al-Awsat on Oct. 22, 2015.