‘Lebanon looking for Gulf help’

“IRAN in 1982 was not influential in Lebanon but during that year Iran instructed its ambassador in Damascus Ali Akbar Mohtashami Bour, who was an extremist cleric, to help Tehran establish a branch in Lebanon under the name of the so-called ‘Iranian Hezbollah’,” columnist and former Kuwaiti ambassador Ahmad Al-Dawas wrote for Al-Seyassah daily.

“However, after several meetings, the Iranian ambassador succeeded in performing his task and he issued a statement following the founding of this branch that the latter undertakes to create ‘an Islamic republic in Lebanon’. In order to translate this objective into reality, hundreds of Iranian clerics flooded Lebanon along with many elite politicians and elements from the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

“During that time, there were extremist Shiite groups and some Marxist currents which unified under the name of ‘Hezbollah’. When the Israeli troops entered Lebanon in 1983 and then withdrew, we saw how Hezbollah started vaunting that it is the only military force that had resisted the Israeli occupation.

“But this party had resorted to the terrorist method and was involved in kidnapping and killing Americans and French citizens in Lebanon. This party was also involved in hijacking a civilian aircraft and created the idea of the suicide bombings of American and French objects inside Lebanon.

“As a matter of fact, thousands of Iranians supporting the regime in Tehran were actually living in Lebanon and as such it is Iran which had exploited the Hezbollah to change the regional policy, hence, we saw how the Iranian regime got Lebanon involved in a war with Israel during the summer of 2006 and this party meddled with Israel and the latter raided Lebanon causing destruction of the Lebanese economy and

Al-Dawas

infrastructure and the losses were estimated to be in billions of US dollars.

“Such being the case, the secretary-general of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah in the aftermath of the 2006 war was quoted as saying, ‘If we had known the country would incur such a big volume of losses, we would not have involved ourselves in waging this war.’

“Speaking of the formation of the consecutive governments in Lebanon, it is Hezbollah which has impeded the formation of some of these governments. Not only that, this party, has even impeded the elections of the president of the Republic and Lebanon had to do without a president for two years after the end of the term of former president in May 2014.

“With regard to Hezbollah funds, they actually come through some commercial facilities including one Lebanese band, insurance company, a group of hotels, a chain of supermarkets, and transport and rental vehicles. Likewise, this party receives financial support from Iran.

“This party at the moment constitutes a threat to Lebanon because its practices show the party has become a state inside the Lebanese State.

“During the civil war in Syria, Nasrallah sowed the seeds of sedition between the Shiites and Sunnis in two areas of Lebanon – Tripoli City, namely Jabal Mohsen of the Alawi majority and Bab Al-Tabbaneh Sunni majority. The fight between the two areas had resulted in killing and wounding many Lebanese citizens and the general situation in Tripoli had vastly deteriorated. Given the above, we wonder if this does not portray Nasrallah as traitor in his country.

“Apart from the above, we have observed that the military arsenal of Hezbollah is outside the control of the Lebanese government and this was evident through the installation of thousands of missiles directed at Israel which resulted in placing Lebanon in a dangerous position as if entire Lebanon is currently sitting on a time bomb.

“However, the behavior of this agent party which has opened its arms for Iran to intervene in the internal affairs of Lebanon has resulted in every Lebanese feel insecure for his/her life if bombs begin to rain on the outskirts of Beirut.

“In other words, the entire Lebanon looks like to have been hijacked due to the domination by this party and its confiscation of the will of the Lebanese nation. Not only that, for the sake of obtaining money, this party commits money-laundering crimes and forging passports in the Caribbean region.

“The hand of this party has stretched to West Africa to hit the installations of the United States and its allies such as Nigeria, and we are not surprised to see its malicious teams working secretly in the Gulf States to threaten their security and stability.

“Such being the case, the Gulf States were right when they branded this Nasrallah and his party as a terrorist organization and putting the party on the list of those who are currently wanted on charge of terrorism, because the one who carries weapons and bombs the suburbs of Beirut to kill the innocent civilians, is not only stupid but a traitor against his country.

“Meanwhile, we say that through the Lebanese parliamentary elections that were held in May 2018, Hezbollah and its allies have won 67 seats – more than half of members that accounted for 128 and this shall enable this bloc to be in a position to vote against all bills that does not satisfy the party.

“In other words, this bloc shall impede the enactment of laws in future and this shall thrust Lebanon into political and economic crises, given the fact this party had impeded the formation of the Lebanese government for nine months post the parliamentary elections and the government was formed just a few days ago by the end of January 2019 after reaching a settlement with the party that resulted in awarding all ministerial portfolios the party wanted.

“Thus, instead of subverting the role of this party in the Lebanese arena, we found how its role has been expanded in the Lebanese government and this was evident through awarding of the most significant ministerial portfolios to its allies such as the ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Justice and Health.”

— Compiled by Zaki Taleb