Hizballah’s takeover of Lebanese government bolsters Iran in Syria against US and Israel
The cabinet Said Hariri has formed in Beirut after a nine-month stalemate is a façade. The most powerful portfolios have gone to pro-Iranian Hizballah and its allies.
In presenting his lineup on Thursday, Jan. 31, the Sunni prime minister apologized to the Lebanon people for the long delay in forming a government. He omitted to mention that the World Bank had threatened to transfer to Jordan the $4bn loan allocated last year to Lebanon unless a government was set up in Beirut. He said only, “All the problems are known and the cause of the corruption and waste and administrative deficiency are also known,” and went on to promise “bold reforms” which remained unspecified. Neither did he refer to the breakdown of public services across the country, including medical care, water and power supplies and the garbage pilling up in the streets. But most glaringly, Prime Minister Hariri’s message to the nation failed to spell out who really ruled the country and into whose hands it had fallen.
In the wake of vicious civil wars, Lebanon’s Shiites, Sunnis and Christian Maronites ruled the country in uneasy equilibrium. However, in the last couple of years, four men were able to grab the centers of power, dominated by Hizballah’ secretary general Hassan Nasrallah. His partners are President Michel Aoun, a Christian who is loyal to Tehran, Damascus and Nasrallah; Foreign Minister Gebrane Bassile, the president’s son-in-law, who is Nasrallah’s obedient pawn, especially on the international stage; and commander of the Lebanese national army Gen. Joseph Aoun, whose every decision is governed by the president and the Hizballah leader. The prime minister did not admit that he is in the same boat.
Israel’s Northern Shield operation for destroying Hizballah’s cross-border tunnels from Lebanon into Israel was one element in a masterplan devised by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu with Washington to break up this formidable foursome. He presented the plan to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when they met in Brussels on Nov. 3. He explained that catching Hizballah red-handed for plotting an invasion of Israel was to have brought the Lebanese president and army chief under international pressure and, combined with Israel’s military operation, forced forced them to break ranks with Hizballah and deal with its dangerous tunnel project. Netanyahu further explained to Pompeo, that Hizballah’s weakened state after the destruction of its tunnels and legitimacy at home and abroad would substantially bolster the US-Israeli campaign for driving its master, Iran, out of Syria and the strengthen the impact of US sanctions on the Islamic regime in Tehran.
Pompeo was convinced and told the Israeli prime minister to go ahead with Operation Northern Shield with Washington’s support. It was launched the following day, Nov. 3.
But then, on December 19, when the operation was well underway, President Donald Trump bowled everyone over on Dec. 19 by his decision to pull US forces out of Syria. As a result, the White House, with the support of Defense Secretary at the time Jim Mattis, ordered Pompeo to hold off the planned economic and diplomatic measures for forcing the Lebanese president and army chief to take action against Hizballah and its tunnels. Trump decided against antagonizing the Lebanese army on the ground that it could be useful in smashing Islamic State remnants still present in Syrian regions bordering on Lebanon.
The upshot of this episode was that Israel went against the tunnels without US backing, while Washington forfeited a major lever against Iran and Hizballah in Syria and Lebanon.
All that was left to Washington after this episode was for US Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Marshal Billingslea to warn Hizballah on Jan. 31, after a two-day visit to Beirut, not to use the new government as a cash cow for terrorist operations. This warning, however, will only make Hassan Nasrallah a bit more careful. He will make sure to put a dense smoke screen in place to camouflage the moneys flowing from the ministerial portfolios, two thirds of which are under his and his allies’ control, in support of his nefarious activities.
When he dictated the lineup, Nasrallah grabbed the following portfolios: Treasury for Ali Hassan Khalil, member of the Shiite Amal movement and a trusted Iranian friend; Defense for Elias Bou Saab, a close crony of President Aoun and the Hizballah leader; Health, which commands large sums and grants from foreign sources, to Dr. Jamil Jabak; and Interior to Raya al-Hassan, the first woman to serve in a Lebanese government. Although a member of Prime Minister Hariri’s party, she is close to Hizballah.
With Nasrallah in charge of Lebanon, Iran’s influence in Beirut is safely assured and provides Tehran with strong backup for deepening its roots in Syria in the face of Israeli and US efforts at removal.
Rising the bet to all in with only a pair of jacks?
Hezbollah and foolish are now synonyms.
Hariri is a Saudi Israeli cat
Time to free Lebanon from it’s Saudi Israeli leash and their ridiculous politics.
Nasrallah and Hezbollah are the ones that protect Lebanon, not this kittycat
The rolling operation of the Clean Break drive on Iran is/was supported by Hariri
Hariri is all for Israeli occupation all the way to the Litani – he would have been Netanyahu’s man in Beirut, with a palace in Doha
so called veronica, a muslim nazi ayatolah killer of christian in lebanon
hariri fathers was killed by sirya by order from iran.. sunni and shia do not mix well
‘sunni and shia do not mix well’ says the ‘Kahanist Wahhabi NATO-enthusiast’
Unfortunately we’ll never have a chance to see how well the fantastical ‘Kahanist Wahhabi NATO’ you wanted ‘mixes’ now, but it would have been fun to watch
Dibs on Sasha Baron Kahane playing the Kings Torah scholar half of that vaudeville act!
SNAP
Now that it is public, lebanon now goes firml;y in the crosshairs of the IDF juggernaut when the war starts, Lebanon will fall as well
What is to protect from?? Hezbollah is only creating enemies and spending Lebanon public money on a useless warfare.
Now “Lebanon “ could be held responsible
Thank God for their stupidity. Now the enemy is clearly the government of Lebanon. The IAF has no limits
for bombing. Easy.
You mean the antisemitic squatters have no limits for LOSING wars against Hizbollah.
Remember 2006, when the land-grabbers announced their intent to steal everything south of the Litani. What happened?
The cowards kill 1500 people from 35,000 feet but can’t get 6 inches into Lebanon without getting their BRAINS BASHED IN.
The squatter army had to beg their benefactor to get a cease-fire at the UN.
from now one keep entire lebanon responsable when hezballh bombs israel
lebanon cease to exist as a country, it is an iranian colony
hezballah killed prime minister Hariri when he asked Siria occupation forces to leave.
Now that Lebanon has has formed a government I hope that with Hezbollah front and center; that the US cutoff all foreign Aid. That would include Military and economic. Hezbollah is still on the US list of terrorist organizations and under US law no US funds are to be given any terrorists group.
The squatter state can’t touch Hizbollah, no matter how much the armchair warriors of loud mouth rant and holler.
That’s a shame.. Lebanon was a beautiful place at one time, but then the Muslims took over and ruined it. Muslims ruin everything they touch.
‘Lebanon was a beautiful place at one time’ – not to worry
The coast of Palestine all the way up to Tyre is going to be the fresh French Riviera of the Middle East now that the Israelis are on the road to being dispersed
Yes, both Lebanon and Palestine will be beautiful once again, once the Hilltop IDF riffraff is evicted
Young Americans will be coming to Palestine/Lebanon during their gap year not to work on a kibbutz, but to run thru the ganja fields in the Bekaa Valley
Nasrallah is just about home free now that the AG is guaranteeing Netanyahu’s conviction. Got to love it
Breaking Times of Israel – ‘PM must be indicted for bribery, conviction is guaranteed, AG’s team said to say’
‘PM must be indicted for bribery, conviction is guaranteed, AG’s team said to say’
Soon Nasrallah can let his hair down and start hitting Tyr Beach again, work on his tan and check out Amal Clooney and the rest of those hot Lebanese babes
On the other hand, after Mandelblit gets a crack at him later this month, it’s time for Netanyahu to head to the Dutch Coast just south of Amsterdam for a little fun in the sun
It’s a collapse of the entire Netanyahu agenda on Iran. There is nothing to stop the free fall into the abysmal vacuum resultant from Netanyahu’s desperate promises and gambling the farm on Iran
Like Wiley Coyote – the end of Netanyahu’s seemingly endless defiance of gravity has come to an end and there is nothing but blue sky under his feet all the way down to the arroyo floor
The Palestinian roadrunner’s BEEP BEEP is the last thing Bibi hears
BEEP BEEP!
Iran is morphing into a SUPERPOWER… One day you will wake up and they will announce they have joined the nuclear club.
Superpower ? Iran’s economy is in tatters and young people hate the mullahs.
You are delusional, Vladimir.
Iran will be Persia again.
Wherever there is Islamic rule there is he’ll on earth.
See you cant trust the USA. No matter who is in charge they never punish the Arab race never. They always let them off the hook. That leaves the Soviets to fully support them. The 2 world superpowers colluding with the violent sons of Ishmael against the innovative sons of Jacob.
Hezbollah is now officially Lebanon. Time for Lebanon to be destroyed once and for all.
Now Hezbollah is in charge Lebanon became officially a terrorist state. Didn’t they learn anything from Gaza? This country will be isolated soon just as Iran, Syria, Gaza. Good luck for all that not voted for Hizballah. You probably will become stateless soon.
The Lebanese army officially became a target now for Israel. This is a game changer. UNIFIL, get prepared for evac.
Give it time Lebanon will be just another heap like Gaza, while Israel flourishes.
Time is up, for everyone.