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WORLD NEWS Saturday 7 November 2020
U.S. sanctions Hezbollah-allied Lebanese Christian leader

By ZEINA KARAM awaited the result of U.S.
Associated Press elections and Donald
BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. Trump's pathway to reelec-
Treasury on Friday slapped tion appeared to shrink.
sanctions on Lebanon's for- It also comes as Prime Min-
mer foreign minister and a ister-designate Saad Hariri
leading Christian political is struggling to form a new
ally of the militant Hezbol- government in Lebanon,
lah group, singling him out which has been hit by the
for what it said was his role worst economic and finan-
in corruption. cial crisis in its modern histo-
Gebran Bassil, a lawmaker ry. Hariri's government was
who leads the largest bloc toppled by the anti-corrup-
in parliament and a son- tion protests in November
in-law of President Michel last year but he has recent-
Aoun, has emerged as a ly been tasked by Aoun to
major target of Lebanese form a new government.
protesters who thronged Bassil has held several high-
streets in an uprising last level posts in the Lebanese
year over endemic corrup- government, serving as the
tion and state mismanage- minister of telecommuni-
ment. cations, energy and water
The Treasury designation and as foreign minister at
did not mention Bassil's alli- Gebran Bassil who is a current lawmaker who leads the biggest bloc in parliament and is a son- various intervals over the
ance or links to Hezbollah, in-law of President Michel Aoun, speaks to journalists at the presidential palace, in Baabda east of past two decades. He also
but the sanctions targeting Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. heads the Free Patriotic
him appeared to be part of Associated Press Movement, the Christian
the Trump administration's The United States has been Friday's announcement is Mnuchin. party founded by Aoun.
maximum pressure cam- sanctioning Hezbollah offi- a major expansion of the Immediately after the des- The Treasury designation
paign against Iran and its cials for years, and recently scope of sanctions target- ignation, Bassil tweeted described him as being
allies in the region. began targeting politi- ing Hezbollah's political that the sanctions do not "at the forefront of corrup-
U.S. Secretary of State Mike cians close to the group. partners in Lebanon. frighten him. "I have got- tion" in Lebanon, accusing
Pompeo, in a statement, In September, the Treasury "The systemic corruption ten used to injustice and him of being involved in
said Bassil contributes to a imposed sanctions on two in Lebanon's political sys- learned from our history: It approving several projects
prevailing system of corrup- former Lebanese Cabinet tem exemplified by Bassil is our fate in this Orient to that would have steered
tion and political patron- ministers allied with the mili- has helped to erode the carry our cross every day Lebanese government
age in Lebanon that has tant group in a strong mes- foundation of an effective ... in order to survive," he funds to individuals close
"aided and abetted Hez- sage to Hezbollah and its government that serves the tweeted. to him through a group of
bollah's destabilizing activi- allies who control majority Lebanese people," said U.S. The announcement came front companies, while min-
ties." seats in Parliament. Treasury Secretary Steven T. as the world anxiously ister of energy in 2014. q

Dutch PM Rutte condemns threats to teacher over cartoon

By MIKE CORDER and we must not tolerate In a statement posted
Associated Press it," Rutte said. on its website Friday, the
THE HAGUE, Netherlands Dutch lawmakers have Rotterdam school said it
(AP) — Dutch Prime Minis- reacted angrily to reports is "completely unaccept-
ter Mark Rutte said Friday that the teacher, who has able that a discussion be-
that threats that forced a not been publicly identi- tween teachers and stu-
teacher in the port city of fied, came under threat dents is hijacked by peo-
Rotterdam to go hiding af- because of a cartoon that ple from outside who use
ter some students object- reportedly had been on this to make unfounded
ed to a political cartoon display for five years at his threats."
displayed in his classroom classroom at the Emmaus- The cartoon, titled "Im-
must not be tolerated. college in Rotterdam. mortal" was drawn in the
Rutte spoke hours after Police tweeted Nov. 3 that aftermath of the deadly
Rotterdam police said the teacher had been 2015 attack on the offic- In this Thursday July 9, 2020 file photo, Mark Rutte, Prime
they had arrested an threatened and that they es of the French satirical Minister of the Netherlands, talks during a media conference
18-year-old girl on suspi- were treating the case weekly newspaper. The at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin.
cion she posted a mes- "extremely seriously." Po- cartoonist, Joep Bertrams, Associated Press
sage on social media that lice did not elaborate on told Dutch daily Trouw this
"incited others to commit the nature of the threats. week that it is not a de- case and why it escalat- that just as important as
crimes" directed at the The threat comes weeks piction of Islam's Prophet ed. Education Minister Arie increasing the knowledge
school and teacher. after French teacher Sam- Muhammad. The drawing Slob told broadcaster NOS of students, it "is our task
"The fact that at this mo- uel Paty was beheaded won a Dutch prize as the earlier this week that there to guide them to a place
ment teachers are be- outside his school in a Paris best political cartoon of was a discussion about the in society where they can
ing threatened because suburb Oct. 16 by a teen- the year in 2015. cartoon "that took on its find their way in freedom
they paid attention in their age refugee of Chechen Police and authorities own dynamic because of and with respect for each
lessons to the discussion origin for showing the cari- have not detailed the ex- things that went on social other. Teachers discuss this
around cartoons is absurd catures in a civics class. act circumstances of the media." The school said with students every day."q