First time for hardtalk. Welcome to hardtalk. Im stephen sackur. Israels intensifying Military Assault on lebanon has involved everything from Booby Trapped electronic devices to bunker busting bombs. As the Death Toll mounts, prime Minister Netanyahu says the target isnt the people of lebanon, its the armed militant group hezbollah, which continues to fire rockets into israel. So what, if anything, can the lebanese Government do to stave off a Gaza Style Catastrophe . My guest is lebanons economy minister, Amin Salam. Is his Government the very definition of powerless . Minister Amin Salam in beirut, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you, stephen. Pleasure being with you. Thank you forjoining me. War is happening to lebanon, war is happening to lebanon, minister, and yet war minister, and yet war is the last thing that is the last thing that lebanon wants. Lebanon wants. How does that make how does that make you feel right now . You feel right now . You said it, stephen. You said it, stephen
Minister amin salam in beirut, minister amin salam in beirut, welcome to hardtalk. Welcome to hardtalk. In gaza, through diplomatic thank you, stephen. Thank you, stephen. Pleasure being with you. Pleasure being with you. Thank you forjoining me. Thank you forjoining me. War is happening to lebanon, war is happening to lebanon, minister, and yet war minister, and yet war is the last thing that is the last thing that lebanon wants. Lebanon wants. How does that make how does that make you feel right now? you feel right now? you said it, stephen. You said it, stephen. It s the last thing we need. It s the last thing we need. It s the last thing we would it s the last thing we would have wanted to happen have wanted to happen and we were hoping and praying and we were hoping and praying and doing our best for the past and doing our best for the past year, since the war started year, since the war started in gaza, through diplomatic channels, through every channel possible, to avoid going i
Amin salam in beirut, welcome to hardtalk. Thank you, thank you, stephen. Always a pleasure. Well, its great to have you back on the show and if i may, i want to start with some words you said just one week after october 7 that is, after the hamas Attack On Southern Israel and at the very beginning of israels massive military response. You said at that point, we do not want to be here in lebanon a Bargaining Chip in a larger geopolitical game. Isnt that precisely what your country has become . Stephen, youve known me for always my honesty and transparency and we reached a point in lebanon where everything is very clear and theres nothing to hide. And saying the truth and sharing the truth, admitting what is at fault, is the best strategy to follow. So, yes, i was very clear in what i said at that point of time, particularly because lebanon is a small state in this region, has been paying a very, very high price for conflicts around lebanon and in the region for at least the past 75 yea