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Many scoffed when it was said that David Schenker, the US Under Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, was carrying out the implementation of the other side of the “soft” French initiative that President Emmanuel Macron launched from Beirut in early September. To justify their mockery, the defenders of this theory resorted to referring to the speech of an American “insomnia” led by Schenker, in order to hinder or disrupt this initiative. And when this was not demonstrated with the speed with which the defenders of this theory arrived, it was said that Schenker boycotted official officials and dedicated his visit to Beirut to meet with the opposition, resigned MPs and representatives of the uprising of civil society, to incite them to what the French “road map” said, from paying attention to the possibility of a process. Distribution of international roles, the Lebanese people must play their part.
The controversy continued until last night, Tuesday, when the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury (OFAC) announced its new list of Lebanese personalities who had been included in the sanctions program, accused of dealing with terrorism and committing crimes of corruption, as stated in US law. It should be noted that the US sanctions, this time, included a new group of Lebanese officials, who had not been the subject of any sanctions before. After the previous sanctions affected Hezbollah representatives, several of its military, close personalities and commercial, banking and financial companies, and were placed under suspicion for their association with the party’s funds and interests, the new list included: two of his friends and close allies, the political aide to the President of Parliament, and also a deputy. A current and former Minister of Finance, Ali Hassan Khalil, one of the leaders of the Marada Movement, and in his capacity as former Minister of Public Works and Transport, Youssef Fenianos. He accused them of collaborating with “Hezbollah”, which it classifies as a “terrorist organization” and “being involved” in corruption operations of “using back doors to conclude deals with Hezbollah for personal gain at the expense of the Lebanese people.” Fenianos also distinguished themselves, with an additional accusation no less dangerous than their counterparts, of “seeking to obtain confidential information about the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.”
Confirming the above accusation, the decision received its complementary political and diplomatic dimensions, considering both US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his assistant for Near East affairs, David Schenker, that what was announced was “the first step to punish to any Lebanese politician who helps Hezbollah. ” . This is what made their leaderships in the “Amal” movement and the “Marada” movement automatically in the US circle of suspicion for their alliance with the party, and the matter has reached Iran, just because the same decision included officials. Venezuelans accused of corruption among them, for dealing with Tehran, the ally of the Venezuelan president. Nicolás Maduro Moros.
Regardless of the detailed data and explanations provided by the decision, it is subject to other interpretations, only because it is considered a preliminary decision, in anticipation of other payments that affect a number of officials of the same caliber. Therefore, the scenarios that simulate it have expanded in their time, form and content, especially since it coincided with the international treatment of the frequencies of the explosion of the “12 amber”, and the recklessness and corruption that it revealed, and the Subsequent political and governmental repercussions brought the situation in Lebanon even closer to “total collapse.” Therefore, observers must place it in the framework of seeking to implement the French initiative, with the necessary bold and serious decisions to facilitate the birth of the “mission government.” It is a step that will be followed by important and different degrees at more than one internal, regional and international level. It must be achieved if things go according to what the French deadlines said, which minimized the margin of the movement against many parties.
The new scenarios do not neglect the indication of the need to modify the attitudes and attitudes of some of those involved in the mission, in view of their ability to change performance and practice. Some of them sincerely believed that they had enough time to adapt positions and manage time, allowing them to achieve what they wanted, before the new reality imposes an approach to what they deserve, with an unprecedented radical change on more than one internal level. , regionally and internationally, to get Lebanon out of the economic blockade. And the financiers and diplomats, who were brought to him by the failed policies of the people of power who are the target of this decision, either intentionally or unintentionally.
Based on the foregoing, and waiting for reactions that could be reflected in a hasty or pending formation of the government, after some immediate positions rejecting the content of the decision, and the division that generated it among the defenders of the escalation after the US decision or calm, it is no secret to say that appeasement is the best means. It must be trusted. What was written in the outer circles was written. And that whoever obstructs must know in advance that the sword being swept away is ruthless, and that heads have come to be harvested, unless things are done in a way that ensures acceleration of the healing of the bleeding Lebanese wound. , whatever the sacrifices, and based on the old saying: “I love you, my walls, but my armor.”
In this context, Western diplomats await developments in the government arena hour by hour, from today until the end of this week, amid a new interpretation of the French initiative, in which the period of fifteen days is calculated from from the end date of the president-designate’s parliamentary consultations, that is, a difference of two or three days from Macron’s visit to Beirut. And his meeting with political and partisan figures at Pinewood Palace. It is an acceptable interpretation that extends the deadline from Monday to next Thursday, in the midst of the belief that things will be carried out in accordance with these deadlines, otherwise the responsibility will fall on anyone who hinders the efforts exerted, preventing reach the stage of total collapse.
