The Daily Star
Washington Tuesday accused Hezbollah of blocking Lebanon’s efforts to form a new government, almost six months after Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri was chosen to do so.
“As prime minister-designate Saad Hariri told media outlets today, Hezbollah continues to block Lebanon from forming a new government,” U.S. State Department Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Ambassador Nathan Sales told a news conference.
The U.S. official added that that this is all at the expense of the Lebanese people in “an effort to extract more concessions for Hezbollah’s own benefits.”
In his first public comments since Hezbollah’s secretary-general accused Hariri of hindering the Cabinet formation, Hariri said earlier in the day: “Today it is Hezbollah obstructing government formation, full stop. And the consequences of [what will happen to] the country will be the responsibility of Hezbollah.”
He added: “I did my part, and the president and speaker know this. Let everyone do their part so that the country can move forward.”
A group of six pro-Hezbollah Sunni MPs are demanding a minister in the new government- something that has been vehemently rejected by Hariri and President Michel Aoun. Hezbollah has refused to hand over its names for ministers until this issue is resolved.
Meanwhile, Sales said that “more [U.S.] sanctions are coming and they will continue until Iran and its proxies change their behavior.”
Sales claimed that Hezbollah is stockpiling more than 100,000 missiles and rockets inside Lebanon, “in population centers effectively using human civilians as human shields.
