U.S. Extends Asset Freeze on Persons 'Threatening Lebanon Stability'
U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday extended a freeze of assets on persons “threatening stability in Lebanon.”
A White House statement, extending the freeze imposed in 2007, said that "certain ongoing activities, such as continuing arms transfers to Hizbullah that include increasingly sophisticated weapons systems, serve to undermine Lebanese sovereignty."
The move comes amid tense relations between the United States and Hizbullah’s key regional ally Syria.
On January 12 Hizbullah and its allies toppled Saad Hariri’s government by resigning from the cabinet over a U.N. probe by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon into the assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri, Saad’s father.
Former President George Bush had frozen the assets of two pro-Syria Lebanese politicians in 2007. They are Assaad Hardan from the Syrian Social National Party and former Minister Wiam Wahhab.
The sanctions also targeted Syrian officials Hafez Makhlouf and Mohammed Nassif.
Source: Agence France Presse
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