US Official Praises Lebanese 'Friend' While Lebanon Drowns in Debt
Al-Monitor reports that US Treasury official Gorka praised Lebanese President Aoun as a “friend” and 'Christian leader,' suggesting he could expand the Abraham Accords. What the report downplays is that this diplomatic back-patting happens while Lebanon grapples with one of the worst financial crises in modern history, a crisis exacerbated by widespread corruption and, yes, money laundering. The
US Treasury discussed combating money laundering, yet overlooked Aoun's legacy: years of economic mismanagement and a banking system notoriously tied to illicit finance. Critics will recall Aoun's role in the 1989-1990 civil war and his later alliance with Hezbollah, a group the US Treasury has repeatedly sanctioned. It seems some 'friends' are more equal than others, especially when they might
sign American-brokered normalization treaties. One wonders how much 'laundering' is acceptable when 'peace' is on the table.