The United States slapped sanctions on Friday on Lebanon’s parliamentarian and head of the Free Patriotic Movement Gebran Bassil, accusing him of corruption, accepting bribery and acting in "partnership with Hezbollah".
The US Treasury Department sanctioned Mr Bassil under the Magnitsky Act.
Mr Bassil, the son-in-law of Lebanon's President Michel Aoun, is also a former foreign minister.
The US deems Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which is a powerful political presence in Lebanon, to be a terrorist group. It has ratcheted up pressure on the group over the past month by announcing a $10 million reward for information on Hezbollah's financial network and placing two prominent members under sanctions.
The new sanctions on Mr Bassil come at a critical point for Lebanon as it tries to form a new government under former prime minister Saad Hariri.
Creating a government of technocrats is a key condition for receiving foreign assistance to resolve Lebanon's economic crisis, but requires the support of all major parties under the country's sectarian power-sharing system.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described Mr Bassil as notoriously corrupt. “Throughout his government career, Bassil has become notorious for corruption and has been linked to the purchase of influence within Lebanese political circles,” Mr Pompeo said.
Some of these actions, he added, occurred while Mr Bassil was Minister of Energy and “involved in approving several projects that would have steered Lebanese government funds to individuals close to him through a group of front companies”.
Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker told The National that the timing of targeting Mr Bassil is not linked to the government formation in Lebanon but expected a strong impact.
“These designations have an impact, they are stigmatising, they are isolating and they send a clear message.”
Mr Bassil is the most senior figure around the Lebanese President Michel Aoun that the US had targeted. Mr Schenker stressed this is not aimed at the Lebanese Christian community, which makes up the majority of Mr Bassil’s party.
“Some of this has been in the works earlier; they take a while to prepare, they take time to prepare, they go through a review process,” Mr Schenker said.
“It can’t be business as usual,” he added in reference to the anti-corruption protests that have been ongoing in Beirut for over a year.
Mr Schenker acknowledged that Bassil is hardly alone to benefit from corruption in Lebanon but said he “represents the most egregious example”.
Asked if a change in the US administration in January would affect these sanctions, Mr Schenker said there will be continuity in US policy on Lebanon, even if Joe Biden won the election.
“Regardless what administration is sitting in the White House, there is continuity to US policy in support of reform, transparency and anti-corruption whether in Lebanon… I am confident that whether this administration or should it be a Biden administration, there will be continuity in adhering to those principles.”
Mr Schenker was less optimistic on the issue of maritime talks between Lebanon and Israel which the US is mediating. “I don’t anticipate a breakthrough any time soon,” he said.
The sanctions targeting Bassil are under Magnitsky Act that involve corruption and human rights violations.
Hanin Ghaddar, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, saw the Magnitsky reference as significant. "It will be very difficult to undo these sanctions because they are under Magnitsky," Ms Ghaddar told The National.
“It sends a very strong message to the Lebanese people who are protesting corruption and to others in the country who will now think twice now before assisting or allying themselves with Hezbollah for financial benefits,” she said.
Firad Maksad, a professor at George Washington University, saw long-lasting effects for the sanctions in possibly blocking Mr Bassil’s path to become president in 2022. “This designation will shape Lebanon’s political landscape for years to come, probably dashing Mr Bassil’s hopes of succeeding his father-in-law as president,” Mr Maksad said.
"Over time, however, it carries the potential of eroding Mr Bassil political base, thereby diminishing his value to Hezbollah," the expert told The National.
Lebanon ranks 138th out of 180 nations under the Transparency International corruption index. The Magnitsky Act was passed by Congress in 2012 and signed into law by former US president Barack Obama. It’s been used to target corrupt figures in countries including Congo, Cambodia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Russia, China, Dominican Republic and Uganda.
A US official explained to The National that a Magnitsky Act designation will bar those targeted from traveling to the United States. Mr Bassil has visited the US annually for diplomatic meetings and gatherings with his supporters.
“Individuals designated under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program are subject to visa restrictions under Presidential Proclamation 8693,” the official said on condition on anonymity.
Because Mr Bassil was also designated under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, he will also be barred from entering US soil.
The bio
Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi
Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup
Hobbies: Reading and drawing
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MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 1 (Martinez 18' pen)
Juventus 2 (Dybala 4', Higuain 80')
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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