August 13, 2021
US Senate Subcommittee Hearing on Middle East Security Assistance
Patriarch Al-Rai Calls on Lebanese Army to Confront Hezbollah
Nasrallah Claims Ammonium Nitrate Used for Syrian Rebels
Opinion Piece: Enemies in the Gate
US Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee Hearing on Security Assistance in the Middle East
This week the US Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism held a hearing on US security assistance in the Middle East. When asked about Lebanon and US support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Affairs Mira Resnick said that “the LAF is one of our most capable partners in the Middle East” and that “without the LAF, Hezbollah fills the void and that is exactly the opposite of what we would like to see in Lebanon.” [US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations]
RESPONSE
“The LAF continues to be one of the best US military investments in the Middle East, assisting the one remaining institution in Lebanon capable of maintaining peace, stability, and the territorial integrity of the country. The US should double down on this worthwhile investment, which is providing the best antidote to Hezbollah hegemony.”
-ATFL President Edward M. Gabriel
Patriarch Al-Rai Calls On Lebanese Army to Confront Hezbollah
In a speech during Sunday Mass, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai called on the Lebanese army to “confront Hezbollah for the sake of Lebanon.” Following Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israel, the Patriarch called for the LAF to take control of southern Lebanon and prevent further missiles from being launched. He added that this was not for the sake of Israel’s safety, but for Lebanon’s. [VOA]
RESPONSE
“Lebanese political parties should stand with the Patriarch for his brave comments condemning Hezbollah. Their political domination has reached its limit with the Lebanese people and they need to make their voices heard loudly and clearly that they will not tolerate Hezbollah’s hegemonic actions any longer.”
-ATFL President Edward M. Gabriel
Nasrallah Claims Ammonium Nitrate Used For Syrian Rebel Forces
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah recently claimed in a speech that the ammonium nitrate that caused the Beirut Port explosion was being smuggled to rebel forces in Syria and that those who brought the chemicals to Lebanon were supporters of rebel forces. He further claimed that Judge Tarek Bitar has politicized the Beirut Port blast investigation and accused him of being biased. [The 961]
RESPONSE
“Where does Nasrallah’s recent claims leave the inquiring mind? Since Hezbollah and its allies have controlled the port for more than a decade, and Judge Bitar’s offense is to call for investigating politicians and officials, many from Hezbollah and its allies in government, can it be deduced that the resistance holds contradictory positions? Cognitive dissonance is what it’s called… inherently contradictory positions…not hard for a militia cum political force that has never really supported Lebanon’s sovereignty in light of Iran’s interests. No contradiction there…”
-ATFL Policy Director Jean AbiNader
Opinion Piece
Enemies in the Gate by Michael Young
Carnegie Middle East Center’s Michael Young reviews Hezbollah’s actions in the past year and a half and shows areas where Lebanese have turned against the party. Referencing the group’s recent escalations on the border with Israel and growing domestic turmoil within Lebanon, Young asks, “Does Hezbollah really feel it can pursue an approach in which its wars have to be fought in duplicate – one against an external enemy, first, followed by another against its domestic rivals?” [Carnegie MEC]
RESPONSE
“Michael Young makes a persuasive case that Hezbollah has lost its sheen as the resistance force against Israel at Iran’s behest. Assassinating its critics; disabling the government, along with its complicit allies; fomenting violence along the boundary with Israel to upstage attacks by Palestinian groups; and using its political leverage to force the LAF to release the Hezbollah members and rockets from last week’s cross-border attacks, only serve to make a mockery of Lebanese independence and sovereignty. Civil strife may only be around the corner. And maybe that’s the plan…can’t have elections during civil conflict.”
-ATFL Policy Director Jean AbiNader
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.