Washington ditching Salameh?

The siege intensifies in Riad Salameh. After Switzerland and the ongoing investigation into its involvement in money laundering and possible embezzlement, the United States of America is on its way to fire the bullet of mercy at the governor of the Lebanese Central Bank. Bloomberg News reported yesterday that Washington is considering imposing sanctions on Salameh. And “citing four people familiar with the matter,” the agency indicated that officials from the administration of President Joe Biden discussed the possibility of taking coordinated measures with their European counterparts directed at the head of the monetary authority in Lebanon. The agency quoted its sources as saying that “the discussion so far has centered on the possibility of freezing Salameh’s assets abroad and taking measures that would limit his ability to do business abroad.” He explained that deliberations are ongoing and that the decision on taking action may not be final.
According to sources, the option to punish Salameh was proposed last year, but former President Donald Trump was not interested in taking similar action at the time. In a related context, the four people told Bloomberg that the Swiss investigation also includes other judicial authorities, including the United Kingdom and France, as authorities review security ties with real estate, shell companies and foreign bank transfers.
Although responsible government sources confirmed that those affected in Lebanon had not been informed of anything of the kind, the political arena was bustling yesterday with the news and its possible repercussions. What seemed surprising to many was that US Ambassador Dorothy Shea did not stop supporting Salameh in their meetings until yesterday, noting that Finance Ministry sources denied that Shia had informed Minister Ghazi Wazni of any decisions on sanctions during your meeting with him two days ago. But informed sources believed that if the news was true and the United States imposed sanctions on Salameh, he would not be able to remain a day in his position, due to the repercussions on banking and the relationship with foreign banks. In addition to personal reasons, which demand that Salameh, who has always been a faithful servant of America in Lebanon, comply with the decision to exclude him.

The Swiss request to investigate Salameh’s financial activities was sent to France, Britain and other countries as well.

As for the justifications for the US decision, it is linked to the behavior of the new US administration, which is based on a two-dimensional policy: preserving US interests in the world, on the one hand, and “not giving our partners that pursue policies that contradict American interests and values, ”the opportunity to continue their previous performance, on the other hand. To market her new image, she is ready to overthrow partners and clients whenever she feels they are damaging this image and when they cease to serve American interests. In Lebanon, the banking sector, which was one of the pillars on which American policy was based, is now collapsing and bankrupt. And just as it decided to announce its abandonment of Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemen under the guise of these values ​​(while continuing to conduct the war, either directly or by handing over the “dirty work” to its ally Britain), it will not. It will be difficult to abandon Riyadh Salameh, who is accused of corruption and mismanagement, originally turned to charred paper at the time of the collapse.
Informed sources told Al-Akhbar that Lebanese official circles stated that they had been informed a few days ago that the American and British governments are monitoring, through special departments, the financial and monetary file in Lebanon and the role of the Bank. from Lebanon. and the role of Governor Riad Salameh in particular.
Sources indicated that the Americans are interested in issues other than the British, and that London has accepted cooperation with the Swiss authorities to monitor the movement of funds belonging to Salama, members of his family and close to him during Los In the last eight years, in addition to registering the real estate of all members of his family and those close to him, France is doing the same. He explained that the request that Lebanon received from the Swiss judicial authorities was also sent to France, Great Britain and other countries in the context of “an investigation into the suspicion of embezzlement of funds from the Banque du Liban and their laundering in the banking sectors “. of those countries.
The sources said that a distinction must be made between American behavior and European behavior, because Washington is looking at the matter from a different angle. He noted that the new administration in Washington re-examined the files that had been previously prepared on Lebanon and asked “not to distinguish” between the suspects, taking into account that this matter contradicts the nature of US policy that is supported in many countries of the world in ally with thieves, corrupt and saboteurs.
Sources indicated that Americans are particularly interested in Circular No. 154 issued by the Bank of Lebanon, especially regarding the return of part of the funds transferred abroad since 2017, and previously asked Riad Salameh about the mechanisms that allow its implementation, especially in terms of persuading bank owners, large shareholders and executives to return 30 percent of their money transferred abroad. Visitors to Washington said Americans were surprised that the Special Investigation Commission had not moved since last September – that is, shortly after the circular was issued. She revealed that the Americans had previously asked Salama to transfer the Special Investigation Commission, but he did so late. According to the visitors, the Americans also looked at the record of recovering 15 percent of all those who transferred money abroad in recent years, and even how banks work to increase their capital by 20 percent.
Sources said what’s new in Salama’s dossier is that the Americans have been asking for some time about him, his dealings, and even his assistants, including Marian Al Hawaik, and that they asked leading Lebanese bankers about their position on policies. of the ruler. , and had received reports from small banks protesting against Salameh and his distinction between Banks in the engineering or support file.
According to the visitors, the information presented in the United States’ deliberations with the Lebanese visitors to Washington indicated a detailed American knowledge of all the transfers that took place before and after October 17, 2019, and that they were waiting for the safety of work stop them or seek to recover part of them.
On the other hand, the sources revealed that the State Department and the United States Treasury have hired special investigation teams that work in the framework of forensic auditing, and have asked them to work in more than seven Arab and European countries to verify the Financial operations of quite a few Lebanese political, security and banking personalities and of a class of men, the works “those who are close to influential referents in the government.”

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