Tillerson warns region against using Lebanon as proxy for conflict

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday warned other countries and groups against using Lebanon as vehicle for a larger proxy fight in the Middle East, saying the United States strongly backed Lebanon’s independence.

Tillerson said he recognized Saad al-Hariri as Lebanon’s prime minister and called him a “strong partner of the United States.”

Tillerson’s backing of Hariri and the Lebanese government contrasted sharply with the approach taken by U.S. ally Saudi Arabia which has lumped Lebanon with Hezbollah as parties hostile to it.

But Tillerson also cautioned against “any party, within or outside Lebanon, using Lebanon as a venue for proxy conflicts or in any manner contributing to instability in that country.”


Read more: Tillerson warns region against using Lebanon as proxy for conflict | Reuters