King Salman

The Lebanese authorities thwarted an attempt to smuggle counterfeit currency to Iraq and Turkey, and dismantled a factory for printing counterfeit banknotes in the Bekaa Valley, where four suspects were arrested, in the latest campaign to pursue perpetrators of violations and crimes and arrest wanted persons.

And in open shops on the international road “Rayak – Baalbek”, at the entrance to the town of Brital, a large motorized force from the Lebanese army, with the support of a force from the Bekaa Intelligence, tightened the cordon on a gang of currency counterfeiters, on Saturday. Security sources described to Asharq Al-Awsat the gang as “the largest for currency counterfeiting,” adding that the group involved in currency counterfeiting “works day and night to print Arab coins, and American coins in the fifty and one hundred dollar denominations, and its main shipping destination is Iraq, with large quantities shipped.” Few towards Turkey and other Arab countries. The army worked to open a hole in the walls of the shops on the international road so that it could withdraw and confiscate the printing machines, which appeared huge, using a crane to pull them from their place. The confiscated machines were transferred to a security center, and the army arrested four wanted Lebanese who were involved in printing counterfeit currency.

The Lebanese Army Command confirmed in a statement that the army units seized a factory in Brital containing machines and equipment for counterfeiting currency, 3 military weapons, hunting rifles, a quantity of drugs, ammunition and counterfeit currency.

The security sources said that the confiscated machines are designed to print foreign currencies such as the US dollar, the euro and the Iraqi dinar, pointing to the seizure of banknotes that were intended for smuggling. The confiscated amount is estimated at millions of banknotes of different currencies packed on wooden pallets and packages prepared for smuggling to some Arab countries and Turkey. Security sources said that the largest amount of counterfeit currency was intended for smuggling towards Iraq.

The official authorities carry out large-scale security campaigns in eastern Lebanon, to pursue drug dealers, smuggling and theft activities, and to arrest wanted persons and those accused of crimes and shootings, and all security agencies, including the Army Intelligence Directorate, the Internal Security Forces, the General Security and the State Security, participate in them.

A Lebanese official following the relationship between the “Free Patriotic Movement” and “Hezbollah” said that the “marriage” between the two parties has ended, and that only the official declaration of divorce remains between the two allies.

The arrival of President Michel Aoun to the presidency was the beginning of the end of this alliance. As soon as he arrived, Aoun confronted the Speaker of Parliament (an ally of “Hezbollah”), President Nabih Berri, who stood in the way of Aoun and his current in power.

Aoun believed that the party’s support should be unlimited at home, but the party chose to hold the stick from the middle, and not confront Berri, out of its concern for “the unity of the Shiite community.”

Aoun says to his visitors that Berri was the biggest obstacle to his presidential achievements, and that the party did not intervene to deter his ally. The current head of the “current”, MP Gebran Bassil, also criticizes the party’s performance, and his biggest complaint is that the party places its relationship with its allies at home, especially in the Shiite faction, above all considerations. This, in Basil’s opinion, “encouraged corruption and prevented the establishment of state institutions.”

Hezbollah’s behavior during the presidential vacuum dealt a heavy blow to the alliance with the “current”. As he was clear in supporting the choice of former minister Suleiman Franjieh for the presidency, but Bassil rejected this option, and called on the party to reach an understanding on a “third option.”

An official close to “Hezbollah” admits that the divorce took place and is awaiting an official announcement, but he asserts that this announcement will not be issued by the party, leaving Basil to carry out this task.

On the other hand, the Lebanese judiciary is preparing to keep pace with the third round of European investigations into the file of the Governor of the “Banque du Liban”, Riad Salameh, which begins on April 25, and includes officials in the Lebanese “Central” and owners of commercial banks, and precedes the date of the investigation session with Salameh. In Paris, on the 16th of May.
Lebanon: Aoun and Hezbollah’s “divorce” is final…and awaits publication