US Helping Lebanon Draw Electricity from Jordan; Why Now?
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Dorothy Shea, US Ambassador to Lebanon, informs Lebanese President Michel Aoun of her administration's decision to help supply Lebanon with electrical energy from Jordan.
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US Ambassador to Lebanon in a meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun
The Lebanese Presidency said, in a statement today, Thursday, that President Michel Aoun received a phone call from Dorothy Shea, US Ambassador to Lebanon, in which she informed him of her administration's decision to “continue to assist Lebanon in importing electrical energy from Jordan through Syria.”.
الرئيس عون تلقى اتصالاً هاتفياً من السفيرة الأميركية في لبنان دوروثي شيا أبلغته قرار الإدارة الأميركية بمساعدة لبنان لاستجرار الطاقة الكهربائية من الأردن عبر سوريا عن طريق الغاز المصري
— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) August 19, 2021
The statement explained that the electrical energy “will be through the provision of quantities of Egyptian gas to Jordan, enabling it to produce additional quantities of electricity to be placed on the network linking Jordan with Lebanon via Syria.”
The statement stated that “the transfer of Egyptian gas through Jordan and Syria to northern Lebanon will also be facilitated,” noting that “these decisions came in response to Shea’s deliberations with Aoun during her recent visit to Baabda Palace.”
According to the statement, Shea indicated that "the American side is making a great effort to accomplish these measures, and that the negotiations are underway with the World Bank to secure financing for the price of Egyptian gas, the repair and strengthening of electricity transmission lines, and the required maintenance of gas pipelines."
The US decision came hours after the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, announced the launch of the first ship loaded with oil derivatives from Iran, and that this ship will be followed by other ships.
Sayyed Nasrallah said that whoever imposed on Hezbollah to take this decision are those who imposed economic war on Lebanon.
He addressed both the Americans and the Israelis by saying, “From the moment the ship sails in a few hours, it will become Lebanese territory,” warning the Americans and Israelis against intercepting or targeting the ship because the matter "has become linked to the pride of the Lebanese people, and we refuse to humiliate them."
Needless to say that Lebanon is witnessing a general closure of gas stations, with the exception of a few, where queues of cars align in front to get gas. At the same time, most of the electricity generators have been turned off due to the shortage of diesel, thus leaving the country amid a severe electricity crisis.
