Report on Glaser's Visit: U.S. Fight against Hizbullah Ongoing and Escalating
U.S. Assistant Treasury Secretary for Terrorist Financing Daniel Glaser stressed that his country is keen on Lebanon’s stability, assuring that the U.S. sanctions law only targets Hizbullah, As Safir daily reported on Friday.
“There is no random or discretionary application of the U.S. law, and there are no intentions to target a specific Lebanese group. We have announced that the aim of the law is to fight Hizbullah. We are not visiting the country to negotiate the law with Lebanese delegations, but to discuss the ways of its implementation,” the daily quoted Glaser during his visit to Lebanon.
It added that the U.S. official reiterated his country's keenness on Lebanon's stability at the political, security, economic and banking levels. He assured that it supports Lebanon's military and security institutions in their fight against terrorism and urges for the election of a Lebanese president.
Glaser denied reports claiming that the law aims to target everyone who deals with Hizbullah, stressing that it is confined to the party as an entity, members and leaders.
He said: “At the same time, we are interested in checking the volume of financial transactions, their value and destination.”
Glaser stressed that his country “respects the Lebanese financial laws” and that the government must similarly respect the laws of the United States as long as it wants to do business with the U.S. banking and financial system.
According to the daily, the first day of talks of Glaser highlighted that the U.S. war against Hizbullah is ongoing and escalating, but this time taking economic and financial shapes.
The U.S. official met with PM Tammam Salam at the Grand Serail and is set to meet Speaker Nabih Berri.
On Thursday he met with Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil
The U.S. regulations say Washington will target those "knowingly facilitating a significant transaction or transactions for" Hizbullah or any individual, business or institution linked to the group.
Those under sanctions include Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and slain top commander Mustafa Badreddine, as well as some businessmen. The list also includes the group's al-Manar TV and al-Nour Radio.
Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh had said that the bank will abide by the restrictions in the Hizbullah International Financing Prevention Act, which was signed into law in December.
D.A.
M.T.
Source: Naharnet
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