A US official told Lebanon on Monday that his country would punish any team that provides "in-kind" support to Hezbollah, a local source familiar with the contents of his talks said weeks after listing. Washington is a Lebanese bank on the list of sanctions for providing financial services to the party.
US Assistant Treasury Secretary for Counterterrorism Financing Marshall Billingsley met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri the day after his arrival in Beirut.
The US embassy in Beirut said in a statement after his arrival on Sunday night that Billingsley, during his meetings with officials and bankers, "will encourage Lebanon to take the necessary steps to stay away from Hezbollah and other malicious parties trying to destabilize Lebanon and its institutions."
No official statement was issued by either party following these meetings.
However, a Lebanese source familiar with the contents of the talks told AFP, citing his name, that Billingsley stressed that "the United States will punish any team that provides in-kind support to Hezbollah, whether through weapons, money or any other material means."
The visit comes after the US Treasury Department announced on August 29 that it had listed Jamal Trust Bank as a major financial institution for Hezbollah. Four of the bank´s insurance companies were also blacklisted.
The source quoted the US official as asserting that "the sanctions target Iran and its followers in the region" without "prejudice to the parties with which Hezbollah has a relationship or political cooperation" in Lebanon.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker said less than two weeks ago during a visit to Beirut that his country could impose sanctions on Hezbollah´s allies in Lebanon.
"In the future, we will announce within the sanctions the names of new people who support Hezbollah regardless of their sect and religion."
The United States listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in 1997. In July, three senior Hezbollah officials in Lebanon, including two deputies, were sanctioned in a resolution for the first time enacted by members of the Lebanese parliament.
