MP Mneimneh to LBCI: Hezbollah appears to be hardening its stance regarding its arms
Speaking to LBCI, Mneimneh stressed the urgent need for financial reforms, including restructuring Lebanon's banking sector, to protect depositors' funds. He noted that not all deposits may be "clean," raising concerns about the origins of some of the funds.
Regarding regional support, Mneimneh stated that Saudi Prince Al-Yazid affirmed the Kingdom's continued support for Lebanon but within the framework of state-building.
"Saudi Arabia will not interfere in the details but will closely follow the course of reforms," he said.
He also emphasized Saudi Arabia's backing for both President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
On the issue of Hezbollah's arms, Mneimneh expressed concern that the group appears to be hardening its stance rather than showing signs of compromise. He called for a serious internal dialogue among political factions on the future of Hezbollah's arsenal.
"The president knows the security challenges better than anyone else. Raising tensions against him does not help," Mneimneh added.
He concluded by stressing that Hezbollah must acknowledge the need to hand over its weapons to ensure national security, asserting that "there is no debate about the inevitability of all weapons being under the authority of the state."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LBCI
3 hours ago
- LBCI
For first time, Lebanon names Al-Qard Al-Hasan in official banking ban—the details
Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Mariella Succar For the first time, Lebanon's central bank has issued a circular explicitly naming the Hezbollah-linked Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association, prohibiting banks and financial institutions from dealing with it. While the U.S. Treasury Department has long sanctioned individuals connected to Hezbollah and Al-Qard Al-Hasan—most recently in early July—this is the first official directive from Lebanese authorities directly targeting the group by name. Legal sources at the central bank told local media the move marks a shift from previous circulars, which had only warned against dealing with unlicensed financial institutions in general terms. According to those sources, the circular aims to protect the banking sector from potential sanctions and send a clear message that Lebanon is serious about combating money laundering. Al-Qard Al-Hasan has been on the U.S. sanctions list since 2007. The directive comes amid growing concern over the vulnerability of Lebanese banks to international scrutiny. For example, if a customer receives a cash loan from Al-Qard Al-Hasan and uses it to purchase a car, the transaction might initially appear routine. However, if the car dealer deposits the funds into a bank and authorities trace the source to Al-Qard Al-Hasan, both the individual and the bank could face serious consequences, including the risk of losing access to correspondent banking services. The loss of correspondent relationships would effectively isolate Lebanese banks from the global financial system, halting money transfers and international trade. Only two correspondent banks still deal with Lebanon, largely due to concerns over the country's inclusion on the Financial Action Task Force's "gray list" for insufficient compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards. Financial and banking experts say the latest circular came as no surprise, as most Lebanese banks had already ceased dealings with Al-Qard Al-Hasan to avoid risk.
Nahar Net
10 hours ago
- Nahar Net
US reportedly urges timetable and official Hezbollah declaration on arms
by Naharnet Newsdesk 6 hours The U.S. response to the latest Lebanese paper requested some clarifications as to 'timetables and the executive mechanisms' for resolving the issue of Hezbollah's weapons, media reports said. Washington also asked for 'a clear stance from Hezbollah that it agrees to this arms monopolization mechanism,' as it welcomed 'a host of articles contained in the Lebanese response,' the reports said. Sources informed on the Lebanese response have told MTV that the Lebanese paper 'included a comprehensive agreement that entire Lebanon will commit to, amid optimism that U.S. envoy Tom Barrack will carry a positive response from the Israeli side.'
Nahar Net
10 hours ago
- Nahar Net
MPs discuss Hezbollah arms, Israeli violations, and US intervention in plenary session
by Naharnet Newsdesk 6 hours Lawmakers convened Wednesday for the second day in Parliament to debate the government's policies. During the session, MPs mainly discussed Hezbollah's arms and Israeli violations and renewed confidence in the Lebanese government. The no-confidence vote was proposed by Free Patriotic chief Jebran Bassil. Sixty-nine MPs gave a vote of confidence to the government, nine FPM MPs voted against it, and four MPs abstained. Many MPs on Tuesday and Wednesday called for Hezbollah's disarmament while Hezbollah MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi said "We all know that the army is not allowed to have defensive weapons to protect the country against the enemy." - Amal MP says gov. not doing enough to protect Lebanese - Amal MP Ali Hassan Khalil and Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan criticized the government for not doing enough to prevent the Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement reached in late November. "We haven't felt that the government is working responsibly and seriously to prevent the collapse of the ceasefire agreement," Khalil said, adding that "the open discussion about arms must continue, but responsibly" and that the government must also discuss the reconstruction of war-hit regions. Khalil said in Hezbollah's defense that "the resistance was never an independent project but rather a reaction that emerged when the national defense system failed to protect sovereignty, especially in the south." - Hezbollah disarmament - Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan criticized Tuesday the government's lack of progress in restoring the state's authority and disarming Hezbollah, while Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Jebran Bassil said he supports Hezbollah's disarmament but not by force. MP Fouad Makhzoumi called for Hezbollah's disarmament and proposed to discuss it in a cabinet session and independent MP Neemat Frem said Hezbollah's arms must not be destroyed or given to Israel, but handed over to the Lebanese army. - US intervention - Hajj Hassan for his part accused the U.S. of intervening in Lebanese affairs. He said that some Lebanese parties are serving the American and Israeli narratives and failing to see the Israeli threats. MP Oussama Saad also said the American mediators are biased to Israel and pressuring Lebanon. "We will not argue about the handover of weapons to the state," but "the Israeli occupation cannot be ignored." On Tuesday, MP Jamil al-Sayyed criticized U.S. envoys Amos Hochstein, Morgan Ortagus, and Tom Barrack, who he said "threatened Lebanon with civil war". "It's as if we've become an experimental field for these envoys." - No foreign dictations - Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denied any foreign dictations and vowed to continue working on extending the state's authority north and south of the Litani river and to pressure Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territories and stop its aggressions.
