Lebanon’s FM asks to quit after ISIL comments anger Gulf states

Charbel Wehbe’s remarks that appeared to blame Gulf states for the rise of ISIL caused a diplomatic firestorm.

Lebanon’s foreign minister has asked the president to be relieved of his duties, the presidency said, after his televised comments appearing to blame Gulf states for the rise of ISIL (ISIS) caused a diplomatic firestorm. “Those countries of love, friendship and fraternity, they brought us Islamic State,” Charbel Wehbe, who is a minister in the caretaker government, told Alhurra TV on Monday, without naming the countries. Wehbe made the comment during a verbal duel with a Saudi guest on the show, who blamed Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun for “handing over” his country to the Lebanese Shia movement, Hezbollah, which is backed by Riyadh’s rival Tehran.