US Department of Treasury has issued sanctions against four Lebanese on the pretext of belonging to Hezbollah, namely: Ali Karaki, Mohammad Haydar, Ibrahim Aqil and Fouad Shukr, Al Akhbar newspaper reported.
A statement issued by the State Department said that US President Donald Trump Tuesday signed an executive order “modernizing and strengthening sanctions authorities to combat terrorism.”
According to the US statement, “Karaki is a leader of Hezbollah’s military wing and is responsible for military operations within southern Lebanon”. Whereas Aqil, the statement added, “is a senior member of Hezbollah’s military wing and is responsible for its military operations”.
“Mohammed Haydar”, the statement said, “runs Hezbollah’s networks outside Lebanon”, while Fouad Shokr “is the supervisor of Hezbollah’s weapons and missile units in Syria, and is the military adviser close to Hezbollah leader” Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, according to the US statement.
“The sanctions targeted 15 leaders and members of groups including Hezbollah, Hamas, Daesh (ISIS) and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the US statement added.
Besides, the American Envoy David Schenker continued his meetings with the Lebanese officials which started last Monday. In addition to his inquiries concerning the recent Israeli attack against Lebanon and the resistance’s retaliation attack, Schenker’s statements included a threat of war in case the resistance doesn’t change its ‘behavior’, according to Al Akhbar newspaper.
Schenker statements were similar to the intimidation campaign led by the Western embassies and the Americans before the resistance’s retaliation, in a trial to prevent Lebanon from responding on the Israeli violations, reported Al Akhbar newspaper.
Well-informed sources confirmed that Schenker “concentrated on the security situation and recent developments on the borders. The sources added that the Schenker was concerned about the resistance’s missiles.
Schenker arrived in Beirut on Monday evening for his first visit to Lebanon to get acquainted with the Lebanese officials, agencies reported, as part of a tour to the region.
Schenker has also met Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday, agencies reported. Berri told Schenker, “Lebanon has ratified financial laws that make it compliant with the highest international standards in the field of combating the smuggling and laundering of funds”.
“The Lebanese economy and the banking sector cannot withstand this magnitude of pressures,” Berri added, referring to the latest US measures against suspected Hezbollah financial transactions, according to agencies.
Berri also emphasized Lebanon’s “keenness on stability, avoidance of war and commitment to U.N. resolutions, especially 1701,” noting that Israel is “responsible for the violations of the U.N. resolution and the undermining of the stability that had been running since 2006’, agencies reported.
President Aoun said similar things to Schenker stressing on Lebanon’s commitment to the 1701 Resolution while Israel is violating it.
Aoun also told Schenker that Lebanon is waiting US’s mediations concerning the demarcation of land and sea borders in south Lebanon”, agencies reported.
Source: Al-Akhbar Newspaper (translated and edited by Al-Manar Website)
