Lebanon’s Economic Crisis: Hezbollah’s New Challenge 

By Mohammad Yousef

Lebanon is on the verge of collapse; thanks to chronic corruption and US siege and sanctions. The economy is deteriorating, the central bank is almost bankrupt. No hard currency is available to provide the basics from food to medications and fuel.

In many times in the past, still true now, Washington refused to help or let others help Lebanon to defend its territories and protect its people from the continuous "Israeli" aggressions; even when the Takfiri groups like Daesh [Arabic Acronym for the terrorist “ISIS/”ISIL”] and Al-nusra started their aggressions we have never seen any support or help from the US who claims to be Lebanon’s and the Lebanese friend. The US arrogant logic supposes they can fool governments and people alike; they overlook the sheer fact that they themselves invented Daesh has admitted by their officials and pretend they can convince others they want to help fighting it.

Washington and its allies would resort to any measure with no restrictions, political or moral to make their plots a reality.

On the “Israeli” level, Washington supports and protects the Zionist entity by all means. The US has given hundreds of billions of dollars of financial aid to its ally; supplied it with the most advanced high tech weaponry to guarantee its military supremacy over “Israel’s” enemies’ altogether. The veto power has always been ready to exempt “Israel” from any condemnation by the international community.

All “Israeli” invasions, occupations, aggressions, incursions and massacres have been approved and supported by Washington.

When the resistance in Lebanon, namely Hezbollah has successfully been able to liberate considerable parts of the occupied country, Washington was very concerned and it did everything possible to reverse the tide, but luckily to no avail.

Hezbollah, not only liberated the Lebanese occupied territories and defended the people, but it also has built a remarkable military force that established a new formula between Lebanon and “Israel”, a formula of deterrence that stretched to protect other regional areas as well.

More important, Hezbollah activities did not limit itself to military actions as a resistance, rather it has established a huge network of social and humanitarian work; schools, hospitals, water plants etc.in an effort to build a society of solidarity and steadfastness.

Nowadays, as the US administration tightens its sanctions and siege against Lebanon to the maximum; Hezbollah finds itself again in a challenge to meet the mounting needs of the Lebanese people, and here, we are talking about basic needs like electricity, water, fuel, medication and food supplies. It is worth mentioning that this task is the government responsibility par excellence, but with the absence of any serious effort from the official authorities and the governments departments the party offered help and promised to bring fuel from Iran with huge facilities on many levels.

Hezbollah has also launched a series of vital projects to maintain people’s steadfastness. The party urged the government to take a bold step and consider resorting to China and Russia to receive supplies and help.

With the Lebanese struggling and suffering and barely making their ends meet, the official authorities are still hesitant, father reluctant to take such a step. Lebanon has no other choices, but those options are enough to start a salvation campaign to pit things back on track.

Hezbollah efforts are praised and blessed but they are not enough because they cannot be a replacement for the government. The latter should assume its responsibilities and take a courageous decision or at least expresses a serious intent to open up for China, Russia and Iran, this might prompt the US administration and its allies to reconsider their policies towards Lebanon.

The well-researched and presumably accurate calculations Washington thought it did over Lebanon might prove again how mistaken it is.

We are in a race between contradictory antagonistic conflicting strategies over Lebanon, however the country’s survival, safety and prosperity should definitely be always the priority. It is for us, because it is our country and our people, but not for America because it’s priorities have always been to support and protect our enemies!

This is another challenge that we meet, a real tough difficult one, but hopefully we will surmount it, with another success and victory again!