Report: Hizbullah Says Salameh's Statement 'Positive'

Hizbullah hailed the stance of Central Bank Governor Riad Salemeh, which urged Lebanese banks to consult with the Central Bank before suspending accounts suspected of violating anti-Hizbullah U.S. sanctions law, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

“The stance of the Central Bank Governor is considered positive,” Hizbullah sources told the daily.

“It might help find an answer to address the problem, but it is not a solution,” they added.

The sources reiterated that the party “adheres to its stance and rejects the U.S. law altogether because it sets ground for a local abolition war where the Central Bank contributes in its exacerbation together with other banks.

“Adding to the fact that committing to that law is a confiscation of Lebanon's monetary sovereignty,” the sources pointed out.

Salameh addressed Lebanese banks on Tuesday where he said in a statement that “except for accounts belonging to individuals or firms blacklisted by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, banks seeking to suspend the accounts of certain firms or individuals suspected to be violating the U.S. law must first offer justifications before resorting to suspension.”

A Hizbullah minister had warned during a cabinet session that a “red line” had been crossed after two Lebanese banks reportedly suspended three Hizbullah-linked accounts in conformity with the U.S. sanctions law.

Earlier on Thursday, Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc said that U.S. sanctions on banks that knowingly do business with the group could threaten Lebanon's financial sector, hinting that supporters may withdraw their money from local banks.

The U.S. regulations say Washington will target those "knowingly facilitating a significant transaction or transactions for" Hizbullah or any individual, business or institution linked to the group.

Those under sanctions include Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and slain top commander Mustafa Badreddine, as well as some businessmen. The list also includes the group's al-Manar TV and al-Nour Radio.

As Safir daily reported that a meeting will be held Wednesday between MP Ali Fayyad, and Hizbullah former MP Amin Cherri and the Association of Banks in Lebanon in a bid to agree on a common approach for the fiscal challenge imposed by the U.S. measures.

D.A.

M.T.