U.S. Ambassador: Washington Wants Lebanon to Thrive
The US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea affirmed in an interview with LBCI TV station that the Lebanese Armed Forces is a basic pillar of Washington's assistance, pointing out that Washington is trying to transfer some of its assistance programs to ensure that it responds to the needs on the ground.
In response to a question on whether Washington’s assistance to the Lebanese army is linked to weaken Hizbullah in Lebanon, Ambassador Shea said: “Our relationship with the Lebanese government is complex and multifaceted. There is a lot of concern in Washington about the way this government was formed and whether it would really assert its independence as a technocratic government, and therefore, it has taken my government a bit of a "wait and see" approach. They are assessing the performance of this government, not only based on words, but also on their actions.
“We certainly hope to move our relations with Lebanon to a higher level,” she said.
On the case of Lebanese-America Amer el-Fakhouri she said: “Amer Fakhoury is a US citizen who was detained here on questionable grounds. He was released by a competent judicial authority and was medically evacuated. There were no deals, there is no price to be paid. His release was instrumental in convincing members of congress not to move forward with draconian legislation which would have made it very difficult for anyone who had been involved in his incarceration and would have potentially put at risk any US assistance for Lebanon.”
On the US concern by the financial nominations in Lebanon that were postponed by the government, Shea said: “The US is a friend and partner of Lebanon, we have provided our best advice. When it comes to Lebanon’s core financial institutions, it is no secret that we (Lebanon) need to gain the confidence of the international community, international banking sector, financial sectors. Therefore it is very important to have credible people in positions of influence in Lebanon financial institutions in order to stabilize Lebanon's economy and get it back on solid footing.
“We want the Lebanese economy to thrive,” she asserted.
Source: Naharnet
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