News / Lebanon

Hezbollah: US has proven role in destroying Lebanon’s economy

Sunday, 10 October 2021 7:12 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 10 October 2021 7:23 AM ]

Sheikh Naim Qassem, deputy secretary general of Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement

The Hezbollah resistance movement says the United States has a “proven role” in destroying Lebanon’s economy by imposing tough sanctions against the country and supporting its corrupt officials.

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Saturday that the Americans have pushed Lebanon, through pressure, to a point where 80 percent of its population are below the poverty line, Raialyoum electronic newspaper reported.

“US meddling in Lebanon and corruption in the ruling class are the two causes of the deteriorating economic and social situation… Corruption is reinforced by the US backing for corrupt leaders,” he added.

“The role of the United States in destroying the Lebanese economy has been proven with definitive reasons. This is no longer hidden to anyone. They imposed sanctions, led the banking system to bankruptcy and prevented it from interacting with other countries,” Sheikh Qassem said.

Lebanon has been mired since late 2019 in a deep financial crisis that has caused the Lebanese pound to lose around 90 percent of its value to the dollar and led its banking system to collapse.

On Saturday, the country was plunged into a total blackout after two main power stations went offline because they ran out of fuel.

State electricity in most places is barely available for an hour a day, while the fuel needed to power private back-up generators is also in short supply, reports say.

The US has exacerbated the crisis by imposing a siege on Lebanon in a bid to force the formation of a Western-friendly administration there.

US slaps new sanctions on Hezbollah after group brings Iran fuel to Lebanon

The US has imposed sanctions on members of a network of Lebanon- and Kuwait-based financial entities, accusing them of funding the Hezbollah resistance movement.

Qassem slammed the US for adopting the so-called Caesar Act, which has hindered Syria’s economic cooperation with Lebanon.

The bans target almost all Syrian economic and trade activities, as well as the country’s government officials.

Hezbollah’s second in command also warned that some so-called civil society groups in Lebanon are receiving large sums of money from the US embassy to fund their agenda to destroy the country, affect the public opinion and counter the resistance movement.

The US will support corrupt groups in the upcoming Lebanese parliamentary elections, he said, stressing that America was forced to leave Afghanistan after 20 years and is now withdrawing from Syria and Iraq as it has realized the failure of its schemes.

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