Dozens injured in violent clashes with security forces in Beirut

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by thenational.ae -- Security forces on Saturday fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters in Beirut, some of whom tried to break into a barricaded central district of Lebanon's capital. The clashes continued into the early morning on Sunday as riot police used water cannon and more tear gas to disperse protesters who pelted them with stones. Riot police and security forces deployed en masse, chasing demonstrators in the street, beating and detaining some of them, a Reuters witness and a protester said. State news agency NNA said the tear gas had made several people faint, while the Lebanese Civil Defence said it treated 54 people who were wounded, taking more than half to hospital.

The Lebanese Red Cross told AFP people had been treated for breathing difficulties and fainting, along with injuries caused by stones, noting that both security personnel and civilians were among those treated. The Internal Security Forces said at least 20 police were wounded. Hundreds of people were gathered as part of a wave of protests that have swept Lebanon since October 17, furious at a ruling elite that steered the country towards its worst economic crisis in decades. Protesters accuse the political class of milking the state for their own benefit through networks of patronage.

Earlier on Saturday dozens of young people opposed to the anti-government protest movement clashed with riot police in the capital, throwing rocks and firecrackers against volleys of teargas. Young counter-protesters from an area of Beirut dominated by the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah and fellow Shiite movement Amal tried to raid a key anti-government protest camp in Martyrs' Square on Saturday afternoon. Anti-riot police intervened, firing tear gas to disperse them. The square, in central Beirut, has been at the epicentre of the protests over perceived official corruption, poor services and economic woes. These large anti-government rallies, which grew into calls for a root-and-branch overhaul of the state, have mostly passed off peacefully. However, clashes have become more frequent in recent weeks, with supporters of Hezbollah and Amal attacking protest camps in several cities amid counter-demonstrations. Both Amal and Hezbollah are partners in Lebanon's cross-sectarian government.

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The French connection couldn’t save Lebanon

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by thearabweekly.com -- Makram Rabah -- When the French Mandate founded “Grand Liban” — the State of Greater Lebanon — almost a century ago, it was never assumed that the small merchant republic would someday reach rock bottom. Decades of unheeded political corruption, coupled with Beirut’s inability to maintain solid connections with its regional Arab allies, left Lebanon desperate for a lifeline from the international community, primarily France. The International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG), led by France and the United Nations, met December 11 in Paris to discuss options to help Lebanon in its predicament. Observers said the ISG was a first step towards Lebanon’s economic salvation because France would lead an international effort to inject much-needed funds into the Lebanese economy, which collapsing towards a total meltdown.

Time and again, French President Emmanuel Macron has shown remarkable resolve in supporting the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, including sponsoring the CEDRE donor conference in April 2018, which earmarked $11 billion to overhaul Lebanon’s decaying infrastructure and jump-start its ailing economy. However, the CEDRE funds were part of a wide reform package that the Lebanese state had publicly subscribed to, which included administrative, fiscal and budgetary reform, none of which were implemented by Hariri’s cabinet, leaving the $11 billion in limbo. Despite visits by French envoy Pierre Duquesne and his repeated urging to Lebanese officials of the importance of the reforms, the recommendations were ignored and the Hariri government failed to address key challenges, primarily reform of the electricity sector and the proper passing of the annual budget. Lebanon’s lack of seriousness, its irresponsible attitude and its refusal to heed the warnings of the international community were penalised in Paris when the ISG convened without any serious Lebanese presence. Beirut was represented by token senior diplomats and a few Hariri advisers.

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US stands with Lebanese people in fight against corruption and terrorism: Pompeo

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by arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: US Secretary Mike Pompeo said on Friday that the US supported the Lebanese people in their fight against government corruption and terrorist threats. Pompeo took to Twitter on Friday, where he posted: We stand with the people of #Lebanon to fight against corruption and terrorism. Today we designated two prominent Lebanese businessmen whose illicit financial activity supports Hizballah. We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to counter the threat Hizballah poses.

On Friday, the US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions against two alleged Hezbollah money launderers and financiers, including a diamond trader who collected art. It accused Lebanon-based Nazem Said Ahmad, whose art collection includes works by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, and his companies of helping to launder large sums of money for the group. “Ahmad, who has a vast art collection, is one of Hezbollah’s top donors, generating funds through his longstanding ties to the ‘blood diamond’ trade,” it said. A second man based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Saleh Assi, was sanctioned for laundering money through Ahmad’s diamond business and supporting another alleged financier already under sanctions. Pompeo's comments came as the head of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, warned that the formation of a new cabinet desperately needed to redress a tumbling economy could take time.

Lebanon has been swept by unprecedented nationwide protests since October 17, demanding the complete overhaul of a political class deemed inept and corrupt. The government stepped down on October 29, but bitterly divided political parties have failed to agree on a new premier ever since. Hezbollah chief Nasrallah spoke ahead of parliamentary consultations to nominate a new prime minister on Monday. “The consultations are supposed to take place on Monday and we hope that whoever receives most votes will be designated to form a government,” he said in a televised address. “But the formation will be no easy feat,” he warned.

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Lebanon counter-protesters clash with police in Beirut

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by AFP -- BEIRUT — Dozens of young people opposed to Lebanon's anti-government protest movement clashed with riot police in Beirut on Saturday, throwing rocks and firecrackers against volleys of teargas. Late Saturday afternoon, young counter-protesters from an area of Beirut dominated by the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah and fellow Shiite movement Amal tried to raid a key anti-government protest camp in Martyrs' Square. The square, in central Beirut, has been at the epicenter of protests which flared in mid-October over perceived official corruption, poor services and economic woes. These large anti-government rallies, which grew into calls for a root-and-branch overhaul of the state, have mostly passed off peacefully.

However, clashes have become more frequent in recent weeks, with supporters of Hezbollah and Amal attacking protest camps in several cities amid counter-demonstrations. Both Amal and Hezbollah are partners in Lebanon's cross-sectarian government. The counter-protests have taken place in the capital and other Lebanese cities in recent weeks, prompting the leader of Hezbollah on Friday to urge his supporters — and those of Amal — to stay calm. Hassan Nasrallah said that the "anger" of some of his movement's members had gone "out of control" but stressed it had been quickly contained. In a televised address, he urged his supporters to exercise "patience".

On Saturday evening, clashes involving anti-government protesters erupted in Beirut at the entrance to the street leading to parliament, which was blocked by security forces. Images broadcast by local TV channel LBC showed the anti-government protesters trying to break through metal police barricades, and officers firing tear gas and beating them. The demonstrators overturned heavy flower pots and shouted slogans hostile to the security forces and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, the footage showed. Security services had already used force to disperse anti-government protesters earlier this week. The protest movement forced the resignation of prime minister Saad Hariri on Oct. 29 and official talks to name his replacement are to start Monday. The process of forming a government will take place as Lebanon faces an economic crisis.— AFP

Rage In Lebanon Over Statements By Iranian IRGC Official Morteza Ghorbani Threatening To 'Level' Tel Aviv From Lebanon: Outrageous Comments That May Drag Lebanon Into A Devastating War

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by memri.org -- On December 12, 2019, Morteza Ghorbani, a senior advisor in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), threatened that Iran could attack Israel from Lebanese soil. Responding to the Israeli foreign minister's remark that an Israeli attack on Iran was "an option," Ghorbani stated: "If the Zionist regime makes [even] the smallest mistake vis-à-vis Iran, we will level Tel Aviv to the ground, from Lebanon, without having to launch a single missile or any [other] device from Iran... God knows that if, one night, Iran's leader [Ali Khamenei] will order a missile attack [on Israel], those Zionists will all surrender... Today, the hearts and spirits of the Yemeni, Syrian, Iraqi, Lebanese and Gazan peoples are with Iran."[1] Ghorbani's statement evoked outrage among many Lebanese officials. A conspicuous response was that of Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab, considered to be close to Hizbullah. He said that, if Ghorbani had indeed made the statement, it was very saddening and was an infringement of Lebanon's sovereignty. Other officials said that Lebanon was not a no-man's-land to be used by Iran, or a conduit for relaying IRGC threats to other countries. Describing the statement as a violation of Lebanon's honor and dignity, some called to demand an explanation for Ghorbani's statement from the Iranian ambassador and even to expel the ambassador.

Criticism of Ghorbani's remarks was also expressed in Lebanese press articles, which condemned not only Ghorbani but also Lebanese officials, for failing to respond to such Iranian statements and allowing Iran to trample Lebanon's sovereignty. In response to the uproar, IRGC spokesman Ramezan Sharif issued a denial, stating that Ghorbani's remarks had been "distorted and misconstrued by the media." Sharif added that "Ghorbani does not currently serve as an IRGC advisor but serves in other capacities in the armed forces."[2] The following are excerpts from some of the Lebanese responses to Ghorbani's statement.

Lebanese Officials: Ghorbani's 'Unacceptable' Statement Is A Violation Of Lebanon's Sovereignty; Lebanon Is Not A Conduit For Conveying IRGC Messages Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab tweeted on December 10: "Assuming Ghorbani... indeed made the statements attributed to him, they are very saddening and unacceptable, and are an infringement of the sovereignty of Lebanon, which has friendly relations with Iran. Lebanon's independent decision-making must not be harmed in any way."[3]

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Pompeo says US stands with Lebanese people as Hezbollah chief warns of delay in forming government

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by AFP -- BEIRUT: US Secretary Mike Pompeo said on Friday that the US supported the Lebanese people in their fight against government corruption and terrorist threats. Pompeo took to Twitter on Friday, where he posted: We stand with the people of #Lebanon to fight against corruption and terrorism. Today we designated two prominent Lebanese businessmen whose illicit financial activity supports Hizballah. We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to counter the threat Hizballah poses.

On Friday, the US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions against two alleged Hezbollah money launderers and financiers, including a diamond trader who collected art. It accused Lebanon-based Nazem Said Ahmad, whose art collection includes works by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, and his companies of helping to launder large sums of money for the group. “Ahmad, who has a vast art collection, is one of Hezbollah’s top donors, generating funds through his longstanding ties to the ‘blood diamond’ trade,” it said. A second man based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Saleh Assi, was sanctioned for laundering money through Ahmad’s diamond business and supporting another alleged financier already under sanctions.

Pompeo's comments came as the head of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, warned that the formation of a new cabinet desperately needed to redress a tumbling economy could take time. Lebanon has been swept by unprecedented nationwide protests since October 17, demanding the complete overhaul of a political class deemed inept and corrupt. The government stepped down on October 29, but bitterly divided political parties have failed to agree on a new premier ever since. Hezbollah chief Nasrallah spoke ahead of parliamentary consultations to nominate a new prime minister on Monday. “The consultations are supposed to take place on Monday and we hope that whoever receives most votes will be designated to form a government,” he said in a televised address. “But the formation will be no easy feat,” he warned.

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