WikiLeaks: Saniora Rejected Transfer of 500 and 300 Million Dollars ‘So They Don’t Go to Berri’s Pocket’

by Naharnet Newsdesk 06 April 2011, 11:21

A leaked U.S. Embassy cable published exclusively in Al-Akhbar newspaper on Wednesday revealed that then Prime Minister Fouad Saniora had rejected a transfer of 500 and 300 million dollars to Lebanon aimed at rebuilding the country after the July 2006 war.

The WikiLeaks cable spoke of a meeting between Saniora and then U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman on August 18, 2006, during which the former explained that he rejected the aid money from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait “because he didn’t want the money to go to Speaker Nabih Berri’s pocket.”

Regarding the war, the premier said that the Israeli attacks are only strengthening Hizbullah and not weakening it.

Furthermore, he rejected accusations that the Lebanese government was ignoring United Nations Security Council resolution 1701, asking Feltman: “Doesn’t your government understand that the deployment of the Lebanese army in the South is an historic achievement?”