The old Hezbollah era of intimidation and threats is over Entrapping US citizens in Lebanon is not acceptable Dr.Walid Phasres/Face Book/March 21/2020
The political games Hezbollah and its allies are playing, their statements, the brouhaha his allies are creating, and the attempts to intimidate the majority of Lebanese, in the wake of the repatriation of US citizen Amer Fakoury, do not impress Lebanese Americans or the US Administration and Congress. This organization is listed on US terror lists, is under several batches of sanctions, and will have to answer justice for the many acts perpetrated against US and Lebanese citizens over the past 40 years.
Hezbollah’s wars in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, in Lebanon or with Israel, have no consequences on US laws and regulations, except being on terror list and being a suspect at the International Tribunal for the assassination of PM Hariri.
Hezbollah naming individuals as “agents.” “traitors,” or “enemies” doesn’t impress the US or the Lebanese Diaspora, or a majority of Arab countries. Any aggression against, mistreatment of or threat against US citizens, as we saw in Iraq this year will draw an appropriate US response.
The old Hezbollah era of intimidation and threats is over.
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Glad to see, vis social media, that Lebanon’s civil society is acting with a very professional culture to mitigate the corona virus as much as possible, with the minimum capabilities. At least, the medical culture of many citizens has shown a high level education in the protection of the elderly and practice of social distancing. Some of the measures and statements I see via Facebook are of the levels we see in the US. It was unfortunate that militia reckless behavior at the Airport for weeks have caused breaches for the disease to spread. Happy to see brave citizens trying to save what can be saved after such irresponsible acts at the earlier stage.
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Entrapping US citizens in Lebanon is not acceptable
The United States extracted its own citizen from Lebanon, as it would do it for any other of its citizens and as it did for thousands of US citizens from all communities, including from south Lebanon and the Bekaa, during the 2006 war.
Hassan Nasrallah need to understand that Amer Fakhoury, in the eyes of the US Congress and the White House is an American citizen, regardless of Hezbollah’s endless wars and unending hatred for its fellow Lebanese. Amer Fakhoury entered the Lebanese Republic as a US citizens and that’s how he was repatriated six months later. If the Lebanese Government didn’t want him to enter Lebanon with his US passport at the International Airport, they could have refused entry, period. Once admitted, all protections are applicable.
The United States will not accept that terror organizations or institutions collaborating with terror organizations, would entrap its citizens and “prosecute them” for wars that have ended twenty years ago, (and against the stipulations of Lebanese and international law,) when they were Lebanese citizens.
The Beirut airport should not be used to settle old ideological and political scores.
