The decision to finance the STL is to be taken by the Lebanese cabinet US, French and Lebanese diplomatic and banking sources have told 'Arabstoday' that financing the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and calling for tougher financial sanctions on Syria were the focus of the delegates' visit. The delegates were the assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, of the Department of Treasury, Daniel Glazer, and Alexy Locore Gran Mizone, the Executive Official of Middle East Affairs in the Foreign Ministry of France to Beirut. Meanwhile, an Estonian security delegate visited the Lebanese capital in a quick mission took 24 hours.
Glazer, Lebanese PM Najib Mikati, Head of the Cabinet and Lebanese Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh and Joseph Tarbia, the head of the Bankers Association in Lebanon met with a number of other members. The talks started with a strongly worded message to the people in charge of the banking sector warning them from facilitating any transactions to Syria and the necessity to respect the sanctions imposed on Syria in addition to blocking potential violations of such sanctions through the Lebanese banking system.
Sources said to 'Arabstoday' that Glazer maintained the necessity of taking instant steps to ensure the transparency required to block attempts to transfer money illegally to or from Syria amid the sanctions imposed by the US and EU. He also told the Lebanese side that he is not carrying reminders of the sanctions, but conveying rigid non-negotiable decisions with an unprecedented insistence on the history of financial and diplomatic missions. He also called on Lebanon to meet its obligations on the international level including cooperation in the issue of the STL and its finances. Glazer also suggested that there is a must to protect the banking system in Lebanon from any potential violations by Syria that might be committed to bypass the sanctions.
Meanwhile Mikati, Head of the Cabinet, asked the US delegation to coordinate with the Central Bank of Lebanon regarding any matters related to the banking sector. Sources also stated that the talks gave special attention to the branches of Lebanese banks working in Syria in a reference to the possibility of using them as a money trafficking platform as they are currently operated without communicating with their headquarters. In this regard, the Lebanese side confirmed that their banks had a special system to protect their Syrian branches from illegal transactions. This can be proved through the balance sheets of such branches. It also held that Lebanon is fully committed to its obligations dictated by the international law in this regard.
Our sources also denied allegations that two Lebanese banks were involved in activities related to money trafficking from Syria. They also said that although they are small banks, the allegations targeted the whole banking sector in Lebanon.
Mikati received Glazer in Saraya last Thursday with the American Ambassador in Beirut Maura Connelly. During the discussions, Mikati demanded that Glazer coordinate with the Central Bank of Lebanon to address any banking-related issues. The Lebanese side was represented by Riad Salameh, Joseph Tarbia and others.
Simultaneously, French delegate Alexy Locore Gran Mizone publicly met a delegate from Hezbollah and the head of Future Bloc representatives Fuad Siniora. Mizone confidentially met Soleiman Farenjia and some leading figures in the Lebanese Brigades and Lebanese Armed Forces before leaving for France.
Mizone reportedly stressed the the need to maintain Franco-Lebanese bilateral relations. However, there was no mention of the details related to the meeting held with Hezbollah representatives.
In the meantime, Ammar El Mosoy, foreign affairs executive at Hezbollah, said: "The meeting addressed the current conditions in Syria and its reflections on the internal conditions in Lebanon." He also added that "any attempt to make Lebanon involved in the current landscape as one of the pressure fronts on Syria will increase tensions on the Lebanese side."
Mosoy also said: "The matter of the STL financing shall be decided in the cabinet and there's no use of the hype concerning this issue....it is a must to provide proper and healthy conditions for the Arab Spring Revolution to go on the right track, to prevent all forms of foreign intervention, and stop seizing or mandates on the public expectations."