Lebanese FM reprimanded over Syrian \'self-distancing\'

Mansour: Communication with Syria is essential for a political solution The Lebanese government has threatened to publish a letter sent by Prime Minister Najib Mikati to Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, claiming the minister had deviated from official positions on the Syrian conflict. Mikati reportedly wrote the letter on the orders of President Michel Sleiman, after Mansour's remarks during an Arab League foreign ministers discussion over whether to allocate Syria's vacant seat to the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC).
Mansour has so far denied receiving the letter, leading Mikati to threaten to publish the document.
Damascus was suspended from membership of the Cairo-based Arab League in November 2011, eight months into what began as a peaceful popular uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
But Mansour resisted the move and told the Arab League ministerial meeting on Friday: “I call for Syria’s membership of the Arab League to be lifted,” adding “Communication with Syria…is essential for a political solution.”
“We have held meetings over two years and taken decision after decision thinking that with them we will be providing Syria with security and stability by removing the regime and replacing it with another – while Syria sank into blood and destruction,” Mansour claimed.