by NAJIA HOUSSARI -- arabnews.com --BEIRUT: The summoning of US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea by Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti on Monday turned into a protocol meeting. The foreign minister, who summoned Shea after she criticized Hezbollah, noted “the freedom of the media and the right of expression, which are sacred rights.” A statement issued by the two parties said: “We have openly discussed the current developments on the local scene. We touched on the bilateral relations that bring together the two countries and the Lebanese and American people, and we stressed the importance of cooperation between the two governments in all fields, in support of Lebanon to get out of the economic crisis that it is suffering from.” After the meeting, Ambassador Shea said: “My meeting with the (foreign) minister was positive, and I agreed with him to turn the page after the unfortunate judicial decision that came to deflect attention from the economic crisis. The United States is ready and will continue to assist Lebanon as long as the government takes the necessary steps to address the causes of the crisis.” She noted that her country “appreciates cooperation to advance our many common interests and our mutual goals in these particularly difficult times. I affirm that our bilateral relationship is strong and we will continue to provide everything that benefits the people of our two countries.”

Ambassador Shea said during an interview with Al-Hadath TV on Friday that “Hezbollah built a state within the state that drained Lebanon, and cost the Lebanese state billions of dollars that went to Hezbollah’s mini-state instead of the government treasury.” The meeting between Hitti and Shea was accompanied by a small group protesting against American interference in Lebanese affairs. The US envoy entered through a back door amid tight security measures taken by the Internal Security Forces in the vicinity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beirut.

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese media broadcast interviews with the U.S. ambassador on Sunday, ignoring a ruling by a judge who banned the …

by arabnews.com -- NAJIA HOUSSARI -- BEIRUT: The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued a doom-laden forecast over the outcome of crucial talks aimed at solving Lebanon’s financial woes. Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s managing director, said she did not “expect progress in the negotiations with the Lebanese officials” over helping the country out of its economic crisis. Former Lebanese Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud told Arab News: “What Georgieva said has already been stated for years by the International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG), but her declaration comes at a time when Lebanon is negotiating with the IMF.” Speaking on Friday, the IMF chief said: “IMF officials are still working with Lebanon, but it is not clear whether it is possible for the country’s leaders, active parties, and society to agree on implementing the reforms needed to stabilize the economy and boost economic growth.”

The financial meltdown in the country has seen the Lebanese pound lose 75 percent of its value over the past eight months. Georgieva pointed out that “the core challenge is to implement a set of very difficult but necessary reforms.” She said that the situation in Lebanon was “breaking her heart,” adding that it was a “country which has a strong culture of entrepreneurship, and is hosting refugees from Palestine and Syria to help alleviate a major humanitarian crisis.” Reaching an agreement with the IMF would require a strong commitment from the Lebanese government to implement a set of structural reforms in public institutions. The ISG has called for a prompt resolution to problems in the electricity sector, the issuance of a law that guarantees the independence of the judiciary, and new rules controlling public-sector purchasing and tendering by ministries, public institutions, councils, and municipalities. One of the most urgent issues for Lebanon is to restore the confidence of its citizens, the international community, and international financial institutions.

BEIRUT (AP) SARAH EL DEEB — A Lebanese judge Saturday banned local and foreign media outlets in the country from interviewing the U.S. ambassador to Beirut for a year, calling a recent interview in which she criticized the powerful Hezbollah group seditious and a threat to social peace. The court decision reflected the rising tension between the U.S. and Hezbollah. It also revealed a widening rift among groups in Lebanon, which is facing the worst economic crisis in its modern history. Judge Mohamad Mazeh in the southern city of Tyre said he acted after receiving a complaint from a citizen who considered Ambassador Dorothy Shea’s comments to a Saudi-owned station “insulting to the Lebanese people.” Mazeh said Shea's comments incited sectarian strife and threatened social peace. The judge said while he can’t ban the ambassador from speaking, he can bar the media from interviewing her for a year. Mazeh made the decision on Saturday, the start of the weekend, saying the matter was urgent. The backlash was swift.

The private LBC TV station said it would appeal the ruling and called it a violation of media freedom. Critics of Hezbollah called it politicized. But others hailed the ban as “brave" on social media, saying Shea had crossed a line, interfering in Lebanon's internal affairs. Information Minister Manal Abdel-Samad wrote on Twitter the judiciary may be reacting to the interference of some diplomats in the country's affairs. However, “no one has the right to prevent the media from covering news or undermine press freedoms," she wrote. The judge’s ruling came a day after Shea told Saudi-owned TV station Al-Hadath that Washington has “great concerns” over Hezbollah’s role in the government. In her first response to the ruling, Shea called it “unfortunate" in a telephone interview with the local MTV station. “I think it is a distraction. I wish people would spend their time and attention trying to solve the problems facing the country," she said, adding that the Lebanese government had already apologized to her for the ruling. “So, no. The U.S. Embassy will not be silenced."