Beirut Spring

Blogging Lebanon
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Politics move quickly and opinions evolve. There's a good chance I no longer hold some of the opinions expressed in the post below
—Mustapha

New Bank Account To Equip Lebanese Army. Donations Accepted

August 14, 2010 · Mustapha Hamoui

This is an interesting move by the Minister of Defense. He’s capitalizing on the Lebanese hurt pride, and with so many billionaires jockeying for power in Lebanon (The Minister himself and his father put in $670,000) the account could easily replace the 100 Million the USA wants to withdraw.

The Minister was scarce on details. It’s not clear how the money will be managed and accounted for, or how transparent the process will be. Moreover, this source of money is not future-proof. Once the emotions ebb, even billionaires will be less enthusiastic about paying what in the end amounts to a defense tax.