Lebanon – Saudi Arabia tells Lebanon to hand over dissident who threatened Beirut embassy

Location: Beirut, Lebanon

Language: Arabic

Duration: 00:03:20

Voice: Natural

Source: A24 Lebanon

Restriction: A24 subscribers

Date: 30/08/2022

Storyline:

Lebanese security officials held a joint press conference with the Saudi ambassador to Beirut today in the wake of threats made to the Kingdom’s diplomats by a Saudi dissident on Twitter.

An audio recording threatening the Kingdom’s embassy in Beirut was recently attributed to Saudi dissident Ali bin Hashem bin Salman Al-Haji.

Al-Haji  allegedly vowed to “exterminate everyone” in the Beirut embassy in retaliation to threats he says Saudi intelligence leveled at his family.

Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Al-Bukhari, said that the Kingdom had submitted an official diplomatic note to the Lebanese  Foreign ministry asking Beirut to take the necessary legal measures in the wake of Al-Haji’s threats.

Lebanon’s  Interior Minister Bassam Al-Mawlawi reaffirmed his country’s commitments toward Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf states.

Shot list:

• Soundbite (Bassam Mawlawi – Lebanese Minister of Interior):

“Lebanon must translate its political commitments to Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf states into action, not just theoretical policies. We in Lebanon are committed to preventing any kind of harm to our Arab brothers and sisters, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, and in all societies whose security and safety are our responsibility, within the framework of a unified vision of joint Arab security.”

• Soundbite (Walid Al-Bukhari – Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon):

“Saudi diplomatic efforts aim to secure a sustainable international safety net, in the face of challenges and risks that threaten the security, stability, and unity of Lebanon. The hostile and inflammatory policies from Lebanon towards the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries are serious and contradict moral values ​​and principles and international laws and norms. As stated by His Excellency the Minister of Interior, I would like to address the Lebanese government to translate these political commitments into political actions, and to carry out all its duties to prevent and stop political and inflammatory activities toward the Kingdom and the Gulf states, which threatens the Arab national security. In this regard, we call on the competent Lebanese security services to complete the necessary legal and security measures regarding the terrorist threats published by Ali Hashem and hand him over to the security authorities in Saudi Arabia because he is wanted. We have submitted an official diplomatic note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard to complete these procedures.”