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The newspaper said in its report – published at a remarkable moment, especially after the latest UNESCO session and the withdrawal of the “Álvarez y Marsal” company – that Western officials said Washington and its allies have been calling for a criminal audit in the Central Bank, as they believe that “it could reveal evidence of money laundering, corruption and relationships.” Senior Lebanese officials in Hezbollah, including the Central Bank itself. ”
According to Western officials contacted by the newspaper, the pressure on the Central Bank, including the threat of imposing possible sanctions, is an unusual step, as the United States generally takes similar action against performance opponents such as North Korea, Iran and Venezuela.
The officials add, according to the newspaper, that Washington and its allies are taking advantage of Beirut’s desperate need for emergency financing and are demanding scrutiny, hoping to shed light on central bank operations that have long been ambiguous. , especially after the setback due to the withdrawal of “Álvarez y Marsal”.
In parallel, current and former Western and Lebanese officials say that influential people in Lebanese political and economic life have so far hampered international efforts to subject the Central Bank to close scrutiny. These include Governor Riad Salameh and government officials linked to Hezbollah, making them potential targets for sanctions by the United States and its allies, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In a comment, a former senior official in the Lebanese Finance Ministry said that a full audit is unlikely to take place while Salameh is in office.
Here, the US newspaper clarified that Salameh turned down the Wall Street Journal’s requests for an interview.
Covering Hezbollah Activity?
Regarding the role of the central bank, current and former officials in the United States and its allied countries indicate that weak central bank supervision helped reinforce rampant corruption, which has been cited in a series of US sanctions. According to the newspaper, the officials explained that the Central Bank played a key role in financing Hezbollah. Among the evidence fueling these concerns are Bank of Lebanon records, copies of which were reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, showing that known Hezbollah accounts were allowed to operate at one of Lebanese private banks, even after the United States to issue instructions to shut them down, according to the US newspaper report.
Furthermore, current and former Western officials expressed concern that Hezbollah’s access to the Lebanese banking system would allow it to finance attacks against US forces and their allies in the region, and to support Iran. US officials also claim that much of the party’s funding from abroad comes from illegal activities, including drug smuggling.
By extension, officials say that although Salameh closed some of the party’s accounts at the request of the United States, the party’s reliable access to the financial system helped it prosper. It is noteworthy that, last June, US Ambassador Dorothy Shea responded to a question related to Salameh’s role, saying: “It is not correct that any person or institution is made the scapegoat for the economic collapse of Lebanon.” He stressed at the time that Salameh had “great confidence in the international financial community.”
Take advantage of the Lebanon crisis
Speaking of Lebanon’s economic and financial crisis, US officials said the crisis provides a unique opportunity to do what the United States has fought for in the past, and officials confirm they do not agree to any rescue plan without scrutiny comprehensive and adopt the policies requested by the International Monetary Fund.
On the other hand, current and former Western officials say that without close scrutiny from the central bank, it is not possible to assess the full extent of Lebanon’s financial problems and determine whether the Bank of Lebanon has any remaining foreign exchange reserves, to prevent the collapsing currency fuels hyperinflation.
Meanwhile, officials and analysts emphasize, according to the US newspaper, that targeted sanctions give the United States the ability to politically obstruct party agents in government.
Ahmed Ibrahim Safa
It is also under scrutiny, according to people familiar with the matter, Ahmed Ibrahim Safa, who recently stepped down as a member of the Banking Supervision Committee. The latter was, according to some intelligence analysts, a prominent financial facilitator for Hezbollah through his private and official positions, most notably his membership in the Banking Supervision Committee, according to the newspaper.
Safa’s name was first reported by the US Department of Justice, amid the “Lebanese-Canadian” bank’s trial in 2011 for helping Hezbollah launder billions of dollars of non-circulating funds, as it is the main facilitator of the group, given his prominent role in the mentioned bank.
Commenting on Safa’s role, US officials familiar with the case said Saffa opened accounts for “Hezbollah” and helped it move its funds around the world, ensuring that transactions were not subject to the scrutiny required to uncover illicit financing. However, Safa turned down the newspaper’s request to comment on her alleged role in helping the party.
It is noteworthy that the Lebanese-Canadian Bank liquidated its assets and sold them to Société Générale Bank in 2011, after the United States Department of the Treasury cut off access to the United States financial system on charges of Hezbollah money laundering. .
The Wall Street Journal … and the sanctions against Basil
The Wall Street Journal is the newspaper that published the news of the imposition of sanctions on the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Congressman Gebran Bassil, hours before the decision was officially announced. It is acquired by “media mogul” Rupert Murdoch, who also owns Fox News TV. Murdoch, who is of Australian descent, is classified right-wing in politics and supports the campaigns of the Republican Party of the United States morally and financially.
