Hezbollah’s drug trafficking
Turki Al-Dakhil/Al Arabiya/February 11/16
Terrorism and drug trafficking have always gone hand in hand considering they are transnational crimes. Hezbollah’s financial dependence on drug trafficking gets clearer every day. On Feb. 2, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said one of its international operations had succeeded in detaining members of a network linked to the Lebanese party. Terrorists trade in everything. They are rogue gangs. They only differ in their religious slogans, which they use to embellish their hideous acts. What they are doing is evil. The network is involved in smuggling and dealing drugs that are worth millions of dollars, to finance terror operations in Lebanon and Syria. During the past 25 years, there have many links between terrorism and drug dealing. From the 43 organizations that are officially defined (by Saudi Arabia) as foreign terrorist organizations, 19 are linked to drug trafficking.
Other organizations
The Captagon factories in Lebanon that are linked to Hezbollah have become a much-discussed subject among Lebanese. Al-Qaeda has also resorted to manufacturing and dealing drugs in Afghanistan and Africa. The International Business Times reported that cocaine is one of the major funding sources of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other terrorist organizations in North Africa. Terrorists trade in everything. They are rogue gangs. They only differ in their religious slogans, which they use to embellish their hideous acts. What they are doing is evil.
Hezbollah has no merits in Lebanon
Nayla Tueni/Al Arabiya/February 12/16
Lebanese parties that support Hezbollah are aware that they need it to provide them with security and money to survive, after living under Syrian tutelage. They also need the votes of Hezbollah supporters whenever there are elections, given that their numbers are great, and the Shiite party can control and mobilize them. However, Hezbollah – despite its money, power and supporters – is no different from other parties when it comes to the domestic political formula, as it is also captive to the current system that is based on sharing with other sects, religions, parties and leaders. Its ministers have not achieved anything significant, and its MPs’ stances have not correlated with the principles they have always bragged about. On the contrary, news of corruption linked to those close to Hezbollah has often surfaced.
Presidential vacuum
The situation has not been better regarding the presidential affair. Hezbollah has obstructed the process of electing a president – and thus obstructed Lebanon’s democratic life and violated the constitution – by boycotting parliament sessions, along with its allies, and by setting conditions to attend. This is nothing to be proud of. Hezbollah has so far failed to get its candidate, Christian leader Michel Aoun, to the presidency. Statements that electing a president is in Hezbollah’s hands are an exaggeration, as last week it acknowledged that just like other parties, it awaits signals from foreign parties, and international and regional agreements such as those related to U.S.-Iranian dialogue. Hezbollah’s frequent statements that the process of electing a president is a purely internal affair are merely attempts to throw dust in the eyes. All parties must realize that we have all become captives of regional affairs, and are all awaiting signals from outside powers. However, as we wait, is it possible to maintain the minimum of security, and social and economic stability? Most importantly, for our own sake, can we avoid harming our ties with brotherly Arab countries that have always stood by Lebanon?
