Saniora: Hizbullah, Aounists Trying to Deviate Attention from Their Hegemony

Ex-PM Fouad Saniora on Thursday accused Hizbullah and its ally the Free Patriotic Movement of seeking to “deviate attention” from “their hegemony over the state,” the upcoming Special Tribunal for Lebanon rulings and the U.S. sanctions on Hizbullah.

Saniora was referring to the latest corruption-related controversy sparked by the remarks of Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah.

“They think that by silencing me they would be silencing others,” Saniora said in an interview on Al-Arabiya television.

“During my tenure, I was the biggest obstacle in Hizbullah's way,” Saniora added.

Saniora has recently described the issue of the “missing” $11 billion as a “farce,” as he announced that those “setting up mini-states inside the state” are the real corrupts, in an apparent jab at Hizbullah.

At a press conference he held to comment on perceived accusations against him, Saniora said the 11 billion dollars in question were spent on interest hikes, treasury loans for Electricite Du Liban, and wage hikes and recruitment expenses for the armed forces.