Still no to the WTO

ENAR

Earlier this week, the US Ambassador to Lebanon gave a speech at Beirut’s Lebanese American University in which she made an explicit appeal to the government to make a move towards accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). “I understand that Lebanese politicians have a lot on their plate these days,” Maura Connelly said, “but this, the WTO competition law, is a law that has already been prepared and sent to the parliament. All it needs is its day on the floor so that it can be debated and passed.” But while Connelly may still publicly harbor hopes of Lebanon joining the 158-country club, behind the scenes, American organizations are abandoning theirs. This became most evident when Executive sat earlier this year with representatives from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). After 12 years of assistance and roughly $12 million of financial support, USAID appears to be calling