Schenker on sanctions against Bassil: paperwork takes a long time

After the US Treasury imposed sanctions on the two former ministers, Ali Hassan Khalil and Yusef Fenianos, US Under Secretary of State for Near East Affairs David Schenker stated that “sanctions against Lebanese officials have begun and they will continue, and officials must listen to what the Lebanese people are asking for. “

He added: “I will not give an opinion on the person of the designated Prime Minister.” We observe the principle of reform that any government must adopt and hold accountable those who were not transparent and nobody dictates the form of government to the Lebanese, and the Foreign Minister spoke of principles, not people, and we believe that the French initiative has many advantages, and the idea of ​​having a government committed to transparency and prosecution of corruption. It is good to help the Lebanese people.

He continued: “These sanctions should be a message to Lebanese officials, in the sense that whoever cooperates with” Hezbollah “will be punished,” noting that “there is still no agreement on the demarcation of the borders between Lebanon and Israel. And I don’t want to talk about unfinished business. I spoke to a senior advisor. ” Parliament Ali Hamdan, but I will not go into the core of the debates that took place.

He added: “Syria is one of the most famous crises in the Middle East. He discussed our presence there, the future of the Assad regime, the Security Council resolution, the Russian and Iranian presence, in addition to the refugee crisis, and the efforts made to allow refugees to return. ” In response to a question about the imposition of sanctions to the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, Shanker said: “We do not talk about sanctions before they are imposed, but the procedures take a long time and more sanctions should be expected.”