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Perspectives: Lebanon and Hezbollah
January 25, 2019
Perspectives:
Lebanon and Hezbollah, is a UANI weekly
resource highlighting developments in Lebanon and the activities of
the terrorist group Hezbollah.
Lebanon Foreign Relations
Israel
Resumes Building Border Barrier, Sends Warning to Lebanon Via Macron
Israel resumed construction of its security
barrier on the Israeli-Lebanese border on Tuesday, prompting
United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Lebanese Army
forces to go on high alert. UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said the
peacekeeping force condemned Israeli
violations of Lebanese sovereignty, including its near-daily aerial
reconnaissance incursions into Lebanon. In related news, during
meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, Israeli President Reuven
Rivlin warned that Israel would hold Lebanon
responsible if its territory is used to fire rockets into Israel.
Rivlin said that his country would not remain idle to threats emanating
from Lebanon.
UN Peacekeepers Denied Access to
Hezbollah Border Tunnels
Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Envoy to the Middle East, told
the UN Security Council that UNIFIL had
not been given access to entry points of Hezbollah tunnels dug
from Lebanon into Israel. While Mladenov did not say whether it was
Lebanon's government or Hezbollah that blocked UNIFIL's access, U.S.
Deputy Ambassador to the UN Jonathan Cohen blamed Beirut, calling the
denial of access "unacceptable."
CENTCOM Commander Votel Visits Lebanon
CENTCOM Commander General Joseph Votel visited
Lebanon January 21-22 and met with several Lebanese officials,
including Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, and UNIFIL Commander
Stefano Del Col. General Votel stressed the U.S. government's support
for the Lebanese Armed Forces in their capacity as the sole,
legitimate defenders of Lebanon.
Lebanese Army Arrests Alleged
"Israeli Agent" Involved in Attempted Assassination
The Lebanese Army's Directorate of Orientation announced
on Tuesday
that it had arrested an individual suspected of working for Israel's
Mossad and being involved in the January 2018 failed attempt to
assassinate Mohammad Hamdan, a Hamas leader in Lebanon. The Army's
statement said the man "admitted to being a Mossad agent since
2014."
Lebanese Economy
Moody's Downgrades Lebanon
Credit Rating
Moody's Investor Service lowered
Lebanon's credit
score by one step from B3 to Caa1, but changed its outlook from negative
to stable. This placed Lebanon's investment grade on par with
such countries as Iraq and Zambia. Moody's also downgraded the
long-term deposit ratings of three Lebanese banks from B3 to Caa1:
Bank Audi S.A.L., BLOM Bank S.A.L., and Byblos Bank S.A.L.
The downgrade reflected heightened risk that the government's
response to increased liquidity and financial stability risks would
include debt rescheduling or other "liability management
exercise[s]" that would amount to a default under Moody's
definition.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar Promise
Lebanon Economic Investments
Saudi Arabia and Qatar
announced plans to invest in Lebanon's economy this week. Qatar -
through its Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman al-Thani
- pledged to invest $500 million in Lebanese bonds, while Saudi
Arabia's Finance Minister said
Riyadh would do all in its power to support Lebanon's struggling
economy.
Russian Company to Manage
Lebanese Oil Storage Terminal
Rosneft, Russia's largest oil producer, announced
on Thursday
that it had signed a 20-year agreement with Lebanon's Ministry of
Energy and Water to manage an oil products storage terminal in
Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli.
Cabinet Formation
Lebanese Officials Continue Efforts to Form a Government
Lebanese government formation efforts continued this
week, with Prime Minister Saad Hariri even canceling
his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos in an attempt to
finalize the process (however, he abruptly left
for Paris on Thursday evening, for a "brief family
visit"). Hariri continued his consultations with several
Lebanese officials, including with Progressive Socialist Party leader
Walid Joumblatt, after which Hariri vowed to finalize the formation
of a government "next
week." Joumblatt took the opportunity to lash out at the six
pro-Hezbollah Sunni MPs, whose demand for representation in Hariri's
cabinet continues to be the remaining government formation stumbling
block.
Meanwhile, the week also witnessed warming ties between
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and his Amal Movement and President
Michel Aoun and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). Berri,
after talks with Hariri, said that a new government would be formed
"within a week or less," and stressed his
"excellent" relations with Aoun, the FPM, and its current
leader, caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran
Bassil. The FPM responded
positively to Berri's comments. Such optimism, however, has been
repeatedly expressed by Lebanese officials over the course of the
country's nine-month attempt to form a government, following each
seemingly successful round of talks.
Hezbollah Domestically
Nasrallah to Give TV Interview
Saturday After Weeks of Silence
Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah will
give an interview to pro-Hezbollah Al-Mayadeen on
Saturday. Nasrallah has conducted interviews with the TV station
annually. According to LBCI,
Nasrallah will address Hezbollah's precision-missiles, tunnels
stretching into Israel, regional affairs - particularly in Syria -
and domestic politics.
Hezbollah Calls Opposition to
Maduro in Venezuela "American Interference"
Hezbollah issued a statement
on Thursday, expressing its continued support for Venezuelan
President Nicolas Maduro and his "elected government." The
group condemned the action against the Venezuelan dictator as
"blatant" intervention by the U.S. and an attempt to seize
control over the country's resources and wealth and punish Caracas
for its anti-American foreign policy.
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