US official fires warning shot at Lebanese reform blockers
Hezbollah’s accumulation of weapons, corrupt activities ‘undermine state institutions’
The US undersecretary of state for political affairs, David Hale, has issued a warning against “those who continue to obstruct progress on the reform agenda.”
He said that they “jeopardize their relationship with the US and our partners and open themselves up to punitive actions,” adding: “Those who facilitate progress can be assured of our strong support.”
Hale’s statement came after his meeting on Thursday with Lebanese President Michel Aoun.
The political disagreements resulted in the failure of the designated prime minister, Saad Hariri, to form a rescue government of nonpartisan specialists to implement reforms demanded by the international community. President Aoun’s team and his supporters object to the government lineup presented by Hariri last December. Aoun and his political team, represented by the Free Patriotic
Movement (FPM), are demanding that they have the power to name Christian ministers in the government and to have the blocking vote. Hezbollah, which supports a techno-political government, champions some of these demands.
The US administration had previously imposed sanctions on FPM leader Gebran Bassil on charges related to corruption.
Hale stressed that he came to Lebanon “at the request of Secretary Blinken to underscore the Biden administration’s continued commitment to the Lebanese people and our shared desire for stability and prosperity in Lebanon.” Hale reiterated his condemnation of the performance of the ruling authority.
“The Lebanese people are clearly suffering. They are suffering because Lebanese leaders have failed to meet their responsibility to put the country’s interests first and to address the mounting socioeconomic problems,” he said.
Hale referred to his two previous visits to Lebanon, which were in December 2019 and August 2020.
He said: “I heard then an unmistakable call for change from Lebanese from all backgrounds. These demands are universal: For transparency, accountability, and an end to the endemic corruption and mismanagement that have caused such hardship.
“If these demands had been met, Lebanon would be on the road to
fulfilling its tremendous potential. Yet today, there has been very little progress. But it’s not too late.”
Hale renewed his call on Lebanon’s leaders “to show sufficient flexibility to form a government that is willing and capable of reversing the collapse underway.” He said: “The time to build a government, not block it, is now.
The time to build a government is now. The time for comprehensive reform is now. And America and the international community are ready to help. But we cannot help, as I said yesterday, without a Lebanese partner.”
Hale specifically criticized Hezbollah: “Hezbollah’s accumulation of dangerous weapons, smuggling, and other illicit and corrupt activities undermine legitimate state institutions.”
He added: “They rob the Lebanese of the ability to build a peaceful and prosperous country. And it is Iran that is fueling and financing this challenge to the state and this distortion of Lebanese political life.
“This brings me to America’s renewed negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. A mutual return to compliance with the Iran nuclear deal is in our interest and in the interest of regional stability, but it would only be the beginning of our work. As we address the other elements of Iran’s destabilizing behavior, America will not abandon our interests and our friends here in Lebanon.”