August 7, 2021
US Announces Additional $100 Million in Aid to Lebanon
Human Rights Watch Releases Beirut Port Evidence in Report
Village Residents Seize Hezbollah Rocket Launchers
US Announces Additional $100 Million in Aid to Lebanon
This week President Joe Biden announced that the United States will give close to $100 million in humanitarian aid to Lebanon as the country approached the one-year anniversary of the Beirut Port explosion. [Reuters] This aid money is in addition to t$560 million given over the past two years. [The 961] Also this week $370 million was raised for Lebanon during an international aid conference co-hosted by France and the UN. [The 961]
RESPONSE
“The US Congress and Biden administration have shown the past few months, and especially this past week, that Lebanon matters to US policy. President Biden’s announcement of $100 million in humanitarian aid paired with draft resolutions from both the US House and Senate in support of Lebanon show progress in the US-Lebanon relationship. Combined with active diplomatic efforts by the US, with France and Arab partners, the US appears intent on offering ‘carrots’ in the form of potential IMF relief if a reform-minded government is formed, and ‘sticks’ in the form of sanctions, coordinated with its French and European partners. In June, aid for the LAF was announced. Next the US should be ramping up support for the two American universities, AUB and LAU, and focusing on the brain drain in the health sector and its lack of medical support and supplies.”
-ATFL President Edward M. Gabriel
Human Rights Watch Releases Beirut Port Evidence in Report
In an incriminating report published this week, Human Rights Watch released evidence against senior Lebanese officials from the August 4 Beirut Port blast and identified systemic legal and political issues that obstruct justice for the explosion. The organization is calling on the UN Human Rights Council to mandate an investigation along with sanctions from other countries against the officials responsible. [HRW]
RESPONSE
“It seems that everyone except the Lebanese government has done an investigation into the Beirut Port explosion and, based on available evidence, pointed to the culprits who either by design or omission are implicated. Justice is a word that implies at least these qualities: transparency, equality before the law, timeliness, and accountability. The Lebanese people, especially those who are grieving and still marked by that awful day, have seen justice cast aside by those who claim to be above the law by their actions and statements. We say again, time for the international community to take strong measures to say enough, time for justice, now.”
-ATFL Policy Director Jean AbiNader
Village Residents Seize Hezbollah Rocket Launchers Following Border Escalations
This morning Hezbollah launched tens of rockets on Israeli-controlled Shebaa Farms in retaliation for yesterday’s Israeli airstrikes. The rocket fire prompted cross-border attacks from Israel’s army. [Bloomberg] UNIFIL has called for an immediate ceasefire and is working with the LAF to strengthen security measures. [Naharnet] Following border escalations, residents of one village in southern Lebanon halted Hezbollah members on their way back from a launch site and seized a truck mounted with rocket launchers. The truck was subsequently handed over to the Lebanese army. [The New Arab]
RESPONSE
“God bless the people of Druze village of Shwayya who impounded a Hezbollah rocket launcher and turned it over to the LAF. Lebanese authorities should make sure that the village is protected from retaliation by Hezbollah and work with UNIFIL to ensure their safety. The recent erosion of security along the Lebanese boundary with Israel is, by many accounts, a larger ploy by Iran to demonstrate that its new government will not be restrained in its campaign against Israel. Why must the Lebanese people continue to pay the price for this deadly waste of time? Israel has better options than punishing Lebanon if it wants to send messages to Iran.”
-ATFL Policy Director Jean AbiNader
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.