Berri Criticizes 'Cheap' Banks Donations to Assist Lebanese Army
Speaker Nabih Berri picked at the Lebanese banks and what he described as “cheap donations” allocated to buy weapons and assist the Lebanese army, al-Akhbar daily reported on Saturday.
“This is unacceptable. A single investor can alone pay an amount of ten million dollars. This is incomparable to the sacrifices and responsibilities that the army shoulders,” furious Berri told his visitors.
The Speaker added: “Only if each bank had offered a donation of at least one million dollars the amount would have gone beyond 30 millions dollars. Where are they hiding the money?”
“They have allocated wealth worth of billions in the last few months and now they are being stingy,” concluded the Speaker.
Early in November and during a meeting between the Speaker and the Lebanese Banks Association, the banks have approved to make donations to aid the army.
The army had received in October a quantity of ammunition that have been granted to Lebanon by the Belgian authorities.
Britain and Canada signed in March a Memorandum of Understanding to increase assistance to the Lebanese army against rising terrorist threats.
In 2010, Lebanon opened a bank account to receive donations to buy arms for its poorly-equipped army.
12 November 2016, 10:54
00
Let the politicians donate $1 million each. You will have more than $ 50 millions.
12 November 2016, 11:13
14
you are the most corrupt of all lebanese politicians, so why don't you give some of the dollars that you stole as donations to the lebanese army?
12 November 2016, 11:39
04
what about you Mr. Berri chipping in some of your billions stashed in Swiss Banks?
12 November 2016, 17:46
02
The reason, according to Obaid, is the decline in credibility of the leader of the movement, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Obaid said, according to the cable, that Berri family's wealth is around US$2 billion. He added that Berri family is the largest landowner in the south of Lebanon.Apr 10, 2011
12 November 2016, 17:50
02
According to the cable, the two men stressed that the support of the Shiite Amal movement in the south has been diminishing. The reason, according to Obaid, is the decline in credibility of the leader of the movement, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Obaid said, according to the cable, that Berri family’s wealth is around US$2 billion. He added that Berri family is the largest landowner in the south of Lebanon. Obaid conveyed that Berri receives US$400,000 per month from Iran. He directs some US$100,000 to his supporters, and leave the rest in his pocket.
12 November 2016, 18:31
02
In another cable, American ambassador to Lebanon during the war of July 2006, Jeffrey Feltman has met with then Lebanon’s Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. According to the document, Siniora, speaking about the reconstruction effort, said he had asked Saudi Arabia and Kuwait not to transfer the amounts of US$500 million and US$300 million, respectively, because “I do not want these funds to reach the pocket of the Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Source: yallafinance.com.
12 November 2016, 14:23
15
Berri does not criticize the iranian militia of hezbollah that is loaded with weapons and does not give the LAF a bullet.
12 November 2016, 19:34
00
Disregarding any political position, he is right! Banks are the true rulers of Lebanon standing in the shadow. They are the equivalent of wallstreet and the are sucking the Lebanese people inside out and making huge profits... more regulations are needed to favor the consumers, people and army.
The logic would be higher taxes on banks and more budget allocated to the army.
Unfortunately, because of the bank lobby and likely corrupt parlement, this is not going to happen anytime soon
12 November 2016, 20:33
03
The 'Cheapest' most painless way to Assist Lebanese Army, but it is unacceptable by the resistance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os0WuxL7U7w
