French spy master joins effort to deliver Lebanese reforms, sources say
*Lebanon facing deepest crisis since civil war. BEIRUT, Sept 3- France’s intelligence chief has joined efforts to push Lebanon to deliver a new government and reforms, Lebanese sources said on Thursday, buttressing President Emmanuel Macron’s bid to pull the country out of a devastating economic crisis. During his visit to Lebanon on Tuesday, Macron gave…
* Macron at centre of effort to end Lebanese crisis
* Emie was a former French ambassador to Beirut
* Lebanon facing deepest crisis since civil war
By Tom Perry and Laila Bassam
BEIRUT, Sept 3 (Reuters) – France’s intelligence chief hasjoined efforts to push Lebanon to deliver a new government andreforms, Lebanese sources said on Thursday, buttressingPresident Emmanuel Macron’s bid to pull the country out of adevastating economic crisis.
Macron is centre stage in international efforts to pressfractious Lebanese politicians to address a crisis seen as thebiggest threat to Lebanon’s stability since the 1975-1990 civilwar.
The crisis, caused by decades of corruption andmismanagement, was compounded by a huge Aug. 4 Beirut port blastthat killed more than 190 people and ruined a swathe of thecapital.
During his visit to Lebanon on Tuesday, Macron gave Lebanesepoliticians until the end of October to start delivering reform,warning they could face sanctions if corruption gets in the way.
Bernard Emie, director general of France’s externalintelligence service, the Direction Generale de la SecuriteExterieure (DGSE), has been in contact with Lebanese officialson the issues discussed during Macron’s visit, three Lebaneseofficials said.
Asked whether Emie was playing a role, the French presidencysaid: “The president does the follow-up and everyone within thestate does its job. The (foreign) minister will make calls.”
Emie, the French ambassador to Lebanon from 2004 to 2007,was appointed DGSE head shortly after Macron took office in2017.
“He is following all the files that Macron presented in hislast visit and with this purpose is in touch with many Lebaneseofficials across the political spectrum,” a senior Lebaneseofficial said. “He is urging them to accelerate theimplementation of reforms.”
Emie was appointed ambassador to Lebanon after serving as anadviser to French President Jacques Chirac. He was in the postwhen Lebanon’s Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, a close friend ofChirac, was assassinated in 2005.
Diplomats say he played a key role in efforts to push Syriantroops out of Lebanon. Syrian forces entered Lebanon during itscivil war and remained afterwards.
Emie is among several French officials following up withLebanese factions. Others include Emmanuel Bonne, Macron’s chiefdiplomatic adviser and another former envoy to Beirut, thesources said.
Pressure from Macron pushed Lebanese leaders to agree on anew prime minister, Mustapha Adib, who has started talks to forma cabinet of specialist ministers.
While France, Lebanon’s former colonial power, is at theforefront of diplomacy, other countries also have influence,including Iran through its support for the heavily armed Shi’itegroup Hezbollah.
The United States, which lists Hezbollah as a terroristgroup, is also a major donor, including to the Lebanese army.
Senior U.S. official David Schenker, on a visit to Beirut,told an-Nahar newspaper the United States appreciated the Frencheffort but there were “slight differences” with Paris.
Schenker said Washington did not believe Hezbollah was alegitimate political organisation and was not “inclined toreform”. Macron described the group as an elected part of thepolitical system.
(Reporting by Tom Perry and Laila Bassam in Beirut and MichelRose and John Irish in Paris; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing byEdmund Blair)