Don't Forget About Lebanon!

The lack of accountability for the deadly ammonium nitrate explosion at the Port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, was cold comfort for attendees at today's Congressional hearing on the multi-crisis disaster that is Lebanon.

 U.S. House Foreign Affairs Middle East, North Africa and Global Counterterrorism Subcommittee Chair Ted Deutch and his colleagues sought recommendations from three experts. Mona Yacoubian, Randa Slim, and David Schenker offered several.

 Dr. Slim cited a completely corrupt political economy as the root of Lebanon's downfall. She observed that the political class is “all bad”; some of them more so than others.*

 Ms. Yacoubian warned of the negative impact on U.S. national security should the last vestiges of democratic governance vanish or its civil society sector wither. She pressed for additional immediate humanitarian aid to be sent directly to local Lebanese NGOs, bypassing the government.  

 Mr. Schenker reminded the subcommittee of the financial sanctions that have already been imposed on several sectarian political party leaders, in line with the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Dr. Slim recommended sanctioning all the oligarchs.

 The three expert witnesses underscored the need for a unified international alliance of “tough love” toward Lebanon. It must include, in addition to France and the United States, the Gulf nations and as many other Arab countries as possible.

 There was also a unanimous call for the USG to support the Lebanese people and civil society institutions in preparing for and holding general elections on time next year.**

Alas, Mr. Schenker predicted only marginal change in the next parliament.

 Dr. Slim urged Congress and the Administration to keep Lebanon on their list of priorities, as difficult as that is these days.

 The American Task Force on Lebanon and the Middle East Institute are among the organizations advocating tirelessly to support Lebanon in her hour of need. Hopefully, policy and assistance will be strengthened.

 ATFL policy director Jean Abinader has suggested that 40 of Lebanon’s millionaires and billionaires each donate $1 million to fully fund the UNICEF program to meet the basic right of kids and adults in the country to sufficient water (https://www.atfl.org/drowning-in-corruption-lebanons-water-supply-dribbles-to-a-halt/).

 Thank you for reading. Here is the permalink to the video of the hearing: https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/2021/7/lebanon-assessing-political-paralysis-economic-crisis-and-challenges-for-u-s-policy. And if you’d like to make a donation that will go directly toward the supply of medical and PPE supplies to Lebanese hospitals in need, check https://www.lebanonreliefproject.com/.

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*My two cents...

Lebanon is undergoing her very own quadruple pandemic: unprecedented poverty and hunger; governmental failure; surging Covid-19 cases; and unreliable basic infrastructure. Would that the Lebanese who are protesting in the streets and helping to deliver basic public services could become the new political class.

 **Two more pennies...

Wouldn’t it be great if the newly emerging parties could disrupt the status quo and end the sectarian stasis in parliament?