UANI Resource: Perspectives on Lebanon and Hezbollah

Perspectives: Lebanon and Hezbollah  February 22, 2019 Perspectives: Lebanon and Hezbollah, is a UANI weekly resource highlighting developments in Lebanon and the activities of the terrorist group Hezbollah.   Hezbollah Domestically U.S. Ambassador Expresses Concern Over Hezbollah's Growing Influence in Lebanon U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard expressed American concern over Hezbollah's growing role in the Lebanese government during a meeting this week with Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Both Hezbollah and Lebanese President Michel Aoun responded to Ambassador Richard's comments. While Aoun denied her claims, saying it was merely the U.S. view that is "contradicted by reality," Hezbollah called her comments a "violation of [Lebanese] sovereignty." Lebanese Foreign Affairs Hariri Cabinet Ministers Break Dissociation Policy on Syria's Assad Regime Two ministers in Prime Minister Saad Hariri's cabinet broke with the government's stated "dissociation policy" on Syria this week by signaling support for Bashar al-Assad's regime. At the international security conference in Munich, Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab singled out Turkey's military presence in Syria as "unwelcome, illegitimate, and... an occupation." Saleh al-Gharib, the State's Minister for Refugee Affairs, visited Syria on Monday at the invitation of Assad regime officials. Al-Gharib claimed Hariri knew about the visit in advance, a claim denied by the prime minister's sources. In related news, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil called Lebanese coordination with Syria "inevitable," and denied that it was a violation of Lebanon's policy of non-alignment. Switzerland Suspends Weapons Deliveries to Lebanese Army Switzerland has suspended arms deliveries to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) after it was discovered that 31 weapons previously delivered to the Lebanese Army disappeared, raising the likely prospect that they wound up in the hands of an "undesired party" - i.e., Hezbollah. Switzerland said arms deliveries would remain suspended as long as it could not verify or monitor the end users of the weapons it provides Lebanon. Ghazi Zuaiter, Lebanon's former Minister of Public Works, said the Swiss-supplied small arms were imported for use by his personal bodyguards, who currently possessed them. Zuaiter called on the Swiss to communicate with him to resolve the matter. Earlier, newly appointed Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab had denied that the LAF had ordered the weapons or was involved in the matter at all. Russia Offers to Build Power Plant in Lebanon Russia has offered to build a power plant in Lebanon to help the country solve its long-standing electricity crisis. According to Energy Ministry sources, the Russian-built power plant would help Lebanon provide 24-hr electricity. Moscow has also offered to build a second plant, powered by nuclear energy, at no additional cost. Lebanon Challenges Trump Administration Nominee for World Bank President Lebanon's Finance Ministry has nominated Ziyad Hayek, an investment banker, for president of the World Bank. Hayek would be challenging David Malpass, a senior U.S. Treasury Department official who has been nominated by the Trump administration to lead the international financial institution. Lebanese Political Issues Constitutional Council Strips Hariri's Future Movement of Tripoli Parliamentary Seat Lebanon's Constitutional Council invalidated the election of Tripoli MP Dima Jamali, of Prime Minister Saad Hariri's Future Movement, after her win was contested by candidate Taha Naji. The Council's head said their investigation showed evidence of tampering with ballot results, leading to the invalidation of Jamali's victory. The Council did not automatically grant the seat to Naji, a pro-Hezbollah Sunni who ran on the "National Dignity" list headed by MP Faisal Karameh. Instead, an election will be held in two months to fill the now-vacant seat. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons.