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Article snippet: PARIS — Lebanon’s absent prime minister arrived in Paris on Saturday morning after two weeks in Saudi Arabia, a mysterious stay that touched off intense speculation that he was being held against his will. The prime minister, Saad Hariri, who has dismissed the speculation but has not publicly explained the nature or length of his stay in Saudi Arabia, is scheduled to meet with France’s president on Saturday. From Riyadh, the Saudi capital, Mr. Hariri announced on Nov. 4 that he was stepping down as Lebanon’s prime minister, but officials in Lebanon have said that his departure would not take effect until he delivered his resignation in person in Beirut. The unexpected trip and resignation unsettled the Middle East, sparking a political crisis in Lebanon and even raising fears of war. Saudi Arabia was widely seen as pressuring Mr. Hariri to resign as part of its escalating regional feud with Iran and its effort to isolate Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia and political party that is part of Mr. Hariri’s coalition government. Mr. Hariri, for his part, said he feared for his safety in Lebanon. With European diplomats scrambling to defuse the crisis, France seized the role of mediator. France has strong ties to Lebanon, dating to the early 20th century, and to the Hariri family. Mr. Hariri’s father, Rafik, was close to former President Jacques Chirac. The father, also a prime minister of Lebanon, was assassinated in 2005. At a European Union summit meeting on Fr... Link to the full article to read more