BEIRUT (Reuters) – A senior Lebanese security official has held talks about the formation of Lebanon’s government with French intelligence chief Bernard Emie in Paris, a Lebanese official said on Thursday, as a deadline for announcing a cabinet looms early next week. France is leaning on Lebanon’s fractious politicians to establish a new government that […]

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BY EDWARD M. GABRIEL, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — The Hill — The explosion that rocked Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 4, killing nearly 200 and injuring 6,500, left 300,000 people in need of food and 170,000 in need of shelter. This massive explosion has devastated a country that already was struggling economically. Lebanon was in financial default, with an 80 percent decrease in the value of its currency and food prices that had risen 55 percent. It has the highest per capita of refugees in the world, making up almost 20 percent of its inhabitants. And now its government has collapsed for the second time in a year, as the country continues to feel the pain of the COVID-19 pandemic. The people of Lebanon appear to have reached their limits, expressing hopelessness not before seen in a country that once was considered “the Switzerland of the Middle East.” Millions of citizens have taken to the streets in demonstrations for almost a year, protesting government corruption and incompetence. In the worst of times, such as these for Lebanon, America’s values can shine the most — and this may be such a moment for the United States.

One banner carried in the streets of Lebanon read: “You can’t clean a house with a dirty mop!” For the past year, in a strong carrot-and-stick approach, the United States, its European partners and several Gulf countries have signaled their interest to offer billions of dollars in aid to stabilize and rebuild Lebanon — but only if the country will establish a transparent government willing to make specific regulatory and budget reforms. The US on Tuesday sanctioned two former parliamentary ministers for providing support to Hezbollah, and French President Emmanuel Macron recently showed resolve by threatening sanctions on Lebanon’s corrupt individuals and anyone who harbors terrorist activities.

The United States can do more to help. It should step up the aid offered to organizations that advocate for the right of Lebanon’s citizens to freely assemble and express their demands for judicial and governmental reforms, and to American-style universities that it has supported in Lebanon. The U.S. has formed a solid, useful partnership with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), which the U.S. military has called one of the best-trained fighting forces in the Arab world. This support, and the carrot-and-stick approach of the international community, is helpful in the longer term. Following the blast, the U.S. extended $18 million in humanitarian support, and it has promised $30 million in aid through the World Food Program. Yet, for a catastrophe of this size, this amount of assistance is paltry in comparison to the need. Both Congress and the U.S. administration have appeared reluctant to send humanitarian aid, out of concern that it could fall into the hands of Hezbollah or be utilized for corrupt or nefarious purposes.

By  xinhuanet.com — Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Thursday that the massive fire that erupted at Beirut’s port earlier in the day may have been caused by an intentional act of sabotage, a technical error, ignorance or negligence, the National News Agency reported. “In all cases, we must investigate the reasons behind this fire and […]

by arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun has asked his interim foreign minister to contact the US embassy about the imposition of sanctions on two of the country’s former ministers, the presidency media office said on Wednesday. Aoun also requested contact be made with the Lebanese embassy in Washington “in order to understand the circumstances” behind the decision to place the politicians, allied with the Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah, on its sanctions list. The US Treasury on Tuesday announced it was imposing sanctions on former finance minister and top Amal official Ali Hassan Khalil and former public works and transportation minister Youssef Fenianos, a senior member of the Christian Marada Movement. The treasury department said they “provided material support to Hezbollah and engaged in corruption.” The move was Washington strongest warning against Hezbollah’s allies. Khalil is currently a member of the Lebanese Parliament and Hezbollah and its allies control majority seats in parliament.

The Shiite Amal group is headed by Lebanon’s longtime Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and the Marada Movement is an organization allied with Hezbollah and Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government. The sanctions came as Lebanon grapples with an unprecedented economic and financial crisis and deals with the aftermath of a devastating explosion at Beirut’s port that killed more than 190, wounded 6,500 and caused damage worth billions of dollars. The sanctions also came as prime minister-designate Mustapha Adib works to form a new Cabinet to replace the one that resigned on Aug. 10, six days after nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated in Beirut. The disaster fueled outrage against a ruling class that has run the country for decades amid widespread corruption and mismanagement. Some analysts in Lebanon saw the sanctions as a message to Hezbollah’s allies to review their links with the Iran-backed group, especially by targeting a Christian ally for the first time. “Fenianos and Ali Hassan Khalil are two central figures in the coalition that is led by Hezbollah,” said Ali Hamadeh, a political writer at An-Nahar newspaper who is often critical of the Iran-backed group.

by AFP — Lebanon launched a forensic audit of the central bank, in line with a long-standing request of donors, an outgoing minister said, as the country suffers its worst economic crisis in decades. “Today the first phase of the forensic audit started,” caretaker finance minister Ghazi Wazni said in a statement. It would involve […]

by alkhaleejtoday.co — Hind Al Soulia – Riyadh – Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun is in hot water after it emerged that tea donated by Sri Lanka for victims of the Beirut blast had been distributed to families of his presidential guards. Critics see it as yet another example of official corruption in a country reeling from the August 4 explosion that killed more than 190 people, wounded thousands and ravaged central Beirut. But the island nation’s ambassador has insisted the controversy is a storm in a teacup, saying that it was a gift for Mr Aoun who can do with it as he wishes. She also blasted the brewing criticism of Lebanese officials. Sri Lanka, many of whose expat community in Lebanon work as housemaids, was one of several nations that rushed to show support after Lebanon’s worst peacetime disaster.

The president’s office released a picture on August 24 showing Mr Aoun receiving Sri Lank’s ambassador Shani Calyaneratne Karunaratne and quoted her saying that Colombo had “donated 1,675 kilos of Ceylon tea to those affected by the Beirut blast”. When asked by Lebanese media what happened to the tea, the president’s office said Mr Aoun had written to his Sri Lankan counterpart to thank him for “a gift of Ceylon tea that had been received by the army … and distributed to the families of soldiers in the presidential guard”. On Wednesday morning, the president’s press office confirmed to The National that the tea was a “personal gift” to Mr Aoun and that he had distributed it to members of the presidential guard who were affected by the blast. Social media erupted in criticism, with the hashtags “tea thief” and “Ceylon tea” trending on Twitter. But Ms Karunaratne said such criticism of President Aoun “shameful.” “We gave this tea to the president and he can do whatever he wants with it as long as the people who get it are Lebanese,” Ms Karunaratne told The National by phone. “It’s one of the best teas in the world and I’m happy that whoever he gave it to is drinking it,” she said.

by NAJIA HOUSSARI — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Cypriot authorities on Tuesday repatriated 90 Lebanese, including women and children, to Tripoli after they tried to enter the country illegally. “Those repatriated were tested for COVID-19 and quarantined in preparation for their return home,” said North Governorate District Commissioner Iman Al-Rafi. Emigration from Lebanon is growing rapidly […]

Lebanese former Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil was blacklisted by the U.S.

 By Ian Talley in Washington and Nazih Osseiran in Beirut wsj.com — — The Trump administration on Tuesday blacklisted two former Lebanese government ministers it says have aided Iran-backed Hezbollah and are part of systemic corruption that the U.S. says is contributing to the country’s economic and political crises. The Trump administration said the action against Yusuf Finyanus, a former minister of transportation and public works, and Ali Hassan Khalil, a former finance minister, is an effort to help Lebanon use the political backlash from last month’s deadly blast in Beirut to overhaul a government long plagued by corruption. The Treasury Department didn’t blame the two for being directly responsible for the port explosion that killed 191 people, injured thousands and leveled much of downtown Beirut last month, but cited the catastrophe as justifying urgent action. A senior administration official said the men likely had some level of oversight of the port during their tenures, though adding that the sanctions weren’t based on that fact. “Both of these ministers would have had some involvement in the development of Lebanese government policies and government action concerning the Beirut port and the activities there,” the official said. Neither of the former officials responded to requests for comment. Hezbollah officials didn’t respond to a request for comment.

U.S. officials last month said they planned sanctions and other diplomatic tools to help shape a new government that would pursue anticorruption measures and sideline Hezbollah, a political group and militia that is allied with U.S.-foe Iran. Washington and other Western nations have designated it as a terrorist group. Senior administration officials said the sanctions should serve as a warning to other Lebanese officials accused of corruption and tied to Hezbollah. David Schenker, the assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, said further sanctions should be expected. “I hope that we can get a bunch more of these out there as soon as possible,” he said, declining to elaborate on potential candidates.

by arabnews.com — NAJIA HOUSSARI — BEIRUT: The TV channel MTV Lebanon has taken legal action against the Lebanese presidency after being banned from entering the parliament building to cover talks on the formation of a new government. Urgent appeals court judge Carla Shawah told the presidency of the lawsuit — believed to be the first of its kind focusing on media freedom — which comes after a reporter and camera crew from the channel were refused entry to the Baabda Palace last week. MTV attorney Mark Habaka told Arab News: “We look forward to a decision that is in the interest of press freedom because the decision to deny the MTV team entry to the Republican Palace is unfair and a violation of freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by the constitution.”

The MTV team said it was shocked after being stopped from entering the Baabda Palace to cover binding parliamentary consultations that Lebanese President Michel Aoun held to appoint a prime minister for the next government. Habaka denied claims that the channel undermined the presidency. “We consider this move to be a dangerous precedent with regard to undermining the Fourth Estate,” he said. MTV, like many privately owned channels, has been highly critical of the Lebanese government and Aoun in the wake of the Beirut port explosion on Aug. 4. Presidential spokesman Rafik Shalala confirmed a statement had been issued by the General Directorate of the Lebanese Presidency explaining the decision to deny MTV entry to the palace.

by KHALED ABOU ZAHR — arabnews — French President Emmanuel Macron’s follow-up visit to Lebanon last week created a backlash from those who, like me, oppose Hezbollah and the Iranian influence in the region. The declarations made by French diplomatic teams giving legitimacy to this group were a mistake and, for some, a betrayal. The reason is simple: We see this group in its current form as a danger to the future of Lebanon; something that contributes to the erosion of the sovereignty of the country. Likewise, Iran plays a nefarious and expansionist role throughout the Middle East. Like me, many French people of Lebanese origin hope and dream of a free Lebanon that is close to France and prospers despite the situation in the Middle East. We hope that President Macron understands this.

Macron’s visit to Lebanon was followed by a visit to Iraq, and we owed it to him to listen to his message there. Indeed, during his visit to Iraq, Macron clearly opposed any interference in the country’s affairs, insisting on France’s support for the sovereignty of the Iraqi state. Iraq, with its new Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, may have the capacity to rebalance its relations with its Iranian neighbor, even though the task will be difficult. French and American efforts seem to be aimed in this direction. The same principle applies in Lebanon, but perhaps no Lebanese person or political group is able to bring about this change today. On the other hand, we must also listen to Macron’s message about the Mediterranean because it is a message of prosperity and stability. Speaking of the principle of “Pax Mediterranea,” he clearly opposes Turkish imperialist action and its methods of intimidation, which all Mediterranean countries refuse. This is again a more complete vision to which Lebanon subscribes and which can be positive for this country. Some Sunni Lebanese groups seem to be calling on Turkey to intervene to oppose Hezbollah, but this would be a mistake that could plunge the country into even more conflict.