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US warns Lebanon's Hezbollah not to funnel ministry's money
Source: Associated Press
US warns Lebanon’s Hezbollah not to funnel ministry’s money
By BASSEM MROUE
February 1, 2019
BEIRUT (AP) — A senior U.S. official warned Lebanon’s Hezbollah not to exploit its newly gained clout in the new Lebanese Cabinet and channel funds from a ministry it controls to institutions affiliated with the Shiite militant group.
The remarks by Marshall Billingslea, the U.S. Treasury’s assistant secretary on terror financing, came as Lebanese political factions agreed late Thursday to form a new government, breaking a nine-month deadlock that had deepened Lebanon’s economic woes.
The warning underscores the delicate balance that Prime Minister Saad Hariri must strike in a national unity government in which the Iran-backed group has three seats, including the Health Ministry, which has one of the country’s largest budgets.
Hariri, who hails from the country’s leading Sunni political party, reportedly had cautioned against Hezbollah holding the Health Ministry amid concerns his new government could face Western sanctions. Hezbollah made significant gains at the expense of Hariri’s party in Parliament elections in May, further contributing to the delay in forming a government as the powerful group lobbied for a bigger share in the cabinet.
-snip-
By BASSEM MROUE
February 1, 2019
BEIRUT (AP) — A senior U.S. official warned Lebanon’s Hezbollah not to exploit its newly gained clout in the new Lebanese Cabinet and channel funds from a ministry it controls to institutions affiliated with the Shiite militant group.
The remarks by Marshall Billingslea, the U.S. Treasury’s assistant secretary on terror financing, came as Lebanese political factions agreed late Thursday to form a new government, breaking a nine-month deadlock that had deepened Lebanon’s economic woes.
The warning underscores the delicate balance that Prime Minister Saad Hariri must strike in a national unity government in which the Iran-backed group has three seats, including the Health Ministry, which has one of the country’s largest budgets.
Hariri, who hails from the country’s leading Sunni political party, reportedly had cautioned against Hezbollah holding the Health Ministry amid concerns his new government could face Western sanctions. Hezbollah made significant gains at the expense of Hariri’s party in Parliament elections in May, further contributing to the delay in forming a government as the powerful group lobbied for a bigger share in the cabinet.
-snip-
Read more: https://apnews.com/97c110cbdc364520a2b49739cf782185