BEIRUT: Iraqi Vice President Nouri Maliki met with Lebanese former Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss Sunday, a day after he arrived in Beirut to discuss terrorism with local officials.
“The Iraqis will eventually win due to their unity and cohesion,” Hoss said after the meeting at his residence in the Malla area, saying he had confidence in the Iraqi state and people who are confronting the rise of terrorism.
Maliki had arrived at Beirut’s Saturday, and was welcomed by Hezbollah and Amal Movement MPs at Rafik Hariri International Airport.
Maliki, a former prime minister who was ousted earlier this year under international pressure after being blamed for marginalizing Iraqi Sunnis and helping give rise to ISIS, said he was in Lebanon to discuss the isssue of terrorism.
Maliki updated Hoss on the situation in Iraq and the battle against ISIS, according to the National News Agency. Hoss offered wishes to the Iraqi people, wishing them success against terrorism, and hoping that the “murky” cloud will leave Lebanon, Syria and Palestine.
Maliki was accompanied by the Iraqi Ambassador to Lebanon Raad al-Allousi during the visit.
Although warmly received by Hezbollah, Maliki’s visit was criticized by many politicians, due to the Iraqi official’s controversial image and the accusations levelled against him of discrimination and corruption.
After being forced out as Iraq's prime minister in August, Maliki was given the largely ceremonial role of vice president.
Meanwhile, a Lebanese lawyer filed a complaint with the public prosecutor's office, asking the judiciary to detain Maliki at the airport over his alleged role in the 1981 Iraq Embassy bombing in Beirut that killed 60 people, according to Anadolu news agency.
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