Lebanon, the World Bank, and Paris 3 (+ Updates)

Just as anticipated, all officials are hailing Seniora's efforts and why not? The grand plan is to place Lebanon in the World Trade Organization. The Paris III agenda of Lebanon is the on-going plan of Rafiq el Harriri, which means the free market and privatization. Rice is present there as well. Critique on the Reform Plan can be found here

The only person I focused seriously on is the World Bank. The World Bank is usually the watch dog of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which places the "restructurement" of a nation and the World Bank does follow up.

Paris III is par excellence is a political support since support of Lebanon in defecto means the support for the Seniora government. And why not? The Future Cadres are the top class business men. which would fit the World Trade Organization. The late Harriri and Chirac had a nice business relationship, and the Chairman of the session is Paris III. Chirac is definitely behaving as the Godfather of Lebanon. He stressed more than once that the Lebanese always paid their debts. The problem is under the ruthless system of the World Trade Organization, no third world nation succeeded to repay its debts.

The World Bank decided to support Lebanon as follows:

70,000,000 Million Dollars on the Energy
1,000,000 Million Dollars For Public Sector Transparency
700,000,000 Million Dollars For Seniora's Reform Plan (200 - 300,000,000 Million Dollars are dedicated to the Finance of Small Businesses)

Total: One Billion Dollars

The surprising factor is the dedication of the sum of money to the small businesses. Yet, Lebanon is not yet a host of the Transnational Corporations like in India or Latin America, so best means is to support the Economic oriented government which is of course business. Since the record of the World Bank or the IMF had been dark, I believe that this donation is to prepare Lebanon to enter the next level.

Other donations/grants/loans so far:
United States: Will give and not loans 770,000,000 US dollars (missed her speech, was it to fight terrorism in Lebanon? They donate annually weaponry alone a value of 4.5 billion dollars excluding loans and other grants to Israel)
Saudi Arabia: 1 Billion dollars (dedicated for reconstruction, my belief is to attempt and win the audience of Hezbollah through that process)
European Bank 900 Mllion Euro (divided as follows)
560 Million Euro gone to the private sector in forms of investments & contracts, plus support to the Central Bank.
50 Million Euro: Gone to Finance research on the monopoly on Energy and Transportation.
Islamic Bank: 250 Million for reconstruction
France : 550 Million Euro
Head of the EU (German): 400,000,000 Million Euro
Belgium: 20,000,000 Million (Projects of Cooperation between Belgium and rehab for cooperation, and the other 10,000,000 Euro to work on diplomacy, + its on-going project of taking away the remaining cluster bombs that remain from the Israeli aggression: so far 100,000 Hectars).
Germany: Stressed on the Cluster bombs and children, and worked on the Water program, 130,000,000 Million Euro to training on technical field and demining.
UAE: Focusing on reconstruction, denouncing Israel and its attrocities, Abu Dabi's bank for development, 300 million US dollars as immediate transfer plus of course support for Seniora and away from wars.
Turkey: Talked about its participation in the UNIFIL, stressed on national dialogue, opening Lebanon to its neighbors market wise, the Turks will participate as mediators as well, and already given 20,000,000 Million, and Stockholm 10,000,000 in form Loan. Now they will give in a loan of 20,000,000 Million Dollar.
Bahrain: Didn't mention any donations, and Chirac asked him where are the donations? He said that they will work in common programs
Kuwait: Willing to Finance any projects as reminded Kuwait has already been the first to assist Lebanon in its crisis and already had half a billion in Lebanese deposits as support and its support to reconstruction
Qatar: Already placed deposit of 1 billion in Lebanon, + 300 Million Loans to fully reconstruct 3 villages, and all religious worships and a lot of projects.
Oman: 10,000,000 Dollars
Italy: worked efficiently in the UNIFIL, Italy already given Lebanon, 30,000,000 couple of weeks ago + now they are contributing 120,000,000 Euro + suspended all their loan demands in the past, and of course they support the legitimate government and Seniora.
Spain: Support PM Seniora, stressed on applying UN resolutions 1701 & 1559. Spain also gave 5,000,000 Euro. Spain will contribute 35,000,000 Euro as gifts and not loans to reconstruct Lebanon, and will continue with its UNIFIL participation.
Brazil: Largest Communities in the world are present in Lebanon. Brazil was the second nation to visit Lebanon directly with 12,000 Ton of assistantships. Brazil will give one million dollars on dual partnerships, as it has given before 5,000,000$. He apologized for such a minor contribution. He stressed that no solution will take place in Lebanon as long as the Palestinian/Israeli issue is not solved. Chirac says that the number of Lebanese who work in Brazl are more than the Lebanese in Lebanon (my estimates 5,500,000 Lebanese).
UK: Already participated up to 150,000,000 Million. They will donate 40,000,000 Euro who are hurt, and a chunk will go to the Palestinian refugees who are most hurt in Lebanon + 130,000,000 Euro (MFL notes: strangely so, probably because the Palestinians are Pro-Fatah in Lebanon, but in any case prime time that topic is tackled).
Malasyia: Chirac stresses that currently this nation is severely damanged by floods currently. Currently Malasyia participates in the UNIFIL and already participated 550,000,000 Million US dollar and first time they donate to such a contrary. They will contribute with 3,000,000 US dollars in support to reconstructing Lebanon, and the minister of Finance is re-considering to restructure the bonds in Lebanon.
Sweden: Already hosted the Stockholm conference and contributed 20 million US dollars. Now they will donate 4.5 million Euro via the UN projects. It is important to solve the Israeli - Palestinian issue to have stability in Lebanon.
Finland: Already contributed 500,000 Euro in terms of Aid and Pollution, and Finland will donate 800,000 Euro via the UN to the sectors in need. Added his voice on the Middle East stability.
Holland: Support to Lebanon should come from its supporters and in Stockhom already donated 6 million Euro in disarming mines. They are committed in reforming the Security Forces. They will do a donation in the future when
Austria: 900,000 Euro in the past + 1 million Euro in support reform plan. Plus there is a need to ban Cluster Bombs.
Slovenia: Already worked on Humanitarian Aid and disarming Mines. Slovenia will give Lebanon this year 700,000 Euro.

(Chirac is starving, hence gives them the option of either speak quickly or grab a bite) Vote goes to continue.

Greece: They will donate 5,000,000 Million and already contributed in the Past 1.5 Million Euro
Cyprus: Played a major role (for free) in giving their ports during the Evacuation. Every year they will give (up to 2009) 340,000 Euro. They will give now 240,000 Euro.
Norway: 15,000,000 Euro (Chirac goes Bravo). and already have given in the past, partly also stressed on fighting the pollution on Lebanese shore, protecting the Palestinian Refugee, and plus Banning Cluster Bombs (I would say please do!)
Jordan: Were the first to assist Lebanon and provided the aerial bridge. They will donate 8,000,000 Million US dollars.
Egypt: Already have given 6 million US dollars, and will give 50,000,000 Dollars (I wonder why? Specially poverty is on the rise in Lebanon).
Canada: They have given 500,000,000 Canadian Dollars in the Past (Chirac checks if that is good or bad)
Ireland: They will contribute 5,000,000 Euro to Lebanon
Denmark: Supports 1701 and participated 6 m dollars in the past. They will give 3.5 Million US dollars which will be dedicated to the refugee camps, demining, and reconstruction.
Russian Federation:Will donate 30,000,000 US dollars and already constructed 9 bridges and
South Korea: Already donated 5 million dollars in the past + participated in 350 UNIFIL. They will give One Million US Dollars (although they could have donated more)
China: Already donated 40,000,000 dollars and worked on disarming. They will be sending more UNIFIL, and China will donate 30,000,000 Dollars.
Australia: Five Million dollars to go for Health, Hospitals, UNIFICEF, and Children. Two million dollars will go to Social reform. The cumulative will be 7,000,000 Australian Dollars.

Chirac Proposes, since the Portugese disappeared and hopefully will be found. The cumulative amounts provided to Lebanon: 7.6 Billion US dollars. He expresses his delight in it. First they need to eat, then go back to the session. Then the hearing will proceed for another One Hour and a Half.

Lebanese Duets

So far these donations reflect a 100% victory for the Seniora plan in the face of the opposition. For starters, the funding came to support the projects. Second, no opposition faction in hell has the skills to manage such large amount of fundings. Third, the plan has been on-going ever since Rafiq Harriri became the Prime Minister. When Salim el-Huss took over, all fundings to Lebanon froze, which shoved Lebanon in a situation currently faced by Hamas (whereby the Palestinians are currently starving due to the International Community pressure on them to resign).

Some of the participants placed South Lebanon and agriculture on the top, this again is an indirect slap to the opposition, which means that the government will stretch its influence to the South. The South has been neglected whether from agriculture or economically which gave the primary reason why Hezbollah became popular.

Again, none of the participants never discussed how these money would be spent, as well as how the monopoly will be broken on the energy. The WTO is known to encourage monopolies between the ruling elites and the transnational corporation.

Aoun on the other hand recieved the biggest slap in the face. Aoun spent all these years in France, and mainly under Chirac's reign. Now Aoun thought he can go head to head with Paris, and now Aoun got the biggest slap with Chirac endorsing Lebanon as if it is his little child.

Now, we dance. The opposition two days ago struck, Seniora's tools and allies struck back.

Already al-Manar is broadcasting a replay an interview with Nasser Qandil rather what is going on from the other side (Future TV would probably do the same).

President Lahoud recieved the biggest slap in the matter. Such conferences do not require his signatures to settle a business deal. His clash with Chirac also ended up with a major defeat. He lost as he proved to be a meaningless president (and illegitimate in the eyes of the International Community).

Chirac and Seniora are winng. For starters, US hegemony on Lebanon will not take place, and their hegemony like they did with Egypt and Jordan has failed. Seniora secured cash-flows and Aoun has nothing to yell about except that they are "thieves". Also, this massive political and economical support has given Seniora the green light to remain in power no matter what the opposition do.

The surprise however the immediate donations from the gulf, excluding Saudi Arabia, because they already donated/loaned in the during and post war.

PS: I will analyze the impact of the International Community on Lebanon on a later post, got studies to do :)