In a rare interview with Al-Jadeed, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea discussed Lebanon’s crisis following her visit to Washington recently.
“Unfortunately, I detected more urgency when I was meeting with my bosses and colleagues in Washington than I sometimes feel here in Beirut,” Shea expressed, saying that the crisis, to some Lebanese officials, is still “business as usual.”
“There is a desperate need for a fully empowered government that is committed to and able to implement reforms to stop the bleed, to begin to stabilize the economy, and to help the economy back on track so that Lebanese people can put food on their tables, so they don’t have to face the scarcity of food, medicine, fuel, [and] electricity shortages.”
“Now is the time to build a government, not to block a government. I think that’s clear,” she said sternly without dropping names of who the United States blames for Lebanon’s crisis.
When asked about the “blocking-third” she said that it would go against what French President Emmanuel Macron envisioned for Lebanon in the wake of the August 4 blast.
During the interview, she also said that importing fuel from Iran was not a solution, adding that Iran is only looking for a country to exploit for its own agenda.
The interview also touched on the United States‘ support and commitment to the Lebanese Army.
Watch the full interview here:
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