“Soft” U.S. War Against Hizbullah Using Lebanese Tools: Article

Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Middle Eastern Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman attended a U.S. Congress session this June 8th to give his testimonial and vision according to his "Evaluation of Hizbullah's strength." At his side sat the coordinator in the Coordination Office for "Combating terrorism", Daniel Benjamin, who shared in the evaluation presented in the Senate.

The highlights of the report presented by Feltman and his friend Benjamin is that the U.S. administration has given the Lebanese "Since 2006, more than 500 million U.S. dollars through the U.S. Agency for Development and Middle East Partnership Initiative." A large amount relative to the Lebanese society, and represents "The U.S. support to Lebanon in order to ensure its development and stability."

But the report by Feltman and Benjamin stresses that the primary heading of these funds has been and continues: "Limiting Hizbullah's appeal among the Lebanese youth."

The U.S. Senate and Administration's questioning the two men about Hizbullah's status seems to have pushed them into disclosing the amount of 500 million dollars, and closed any escape routes from the inevitable question about the U.S. failure to weaken Hizbullah.

The pair hence, emphasized that there is no slackening in Hizbullah's face and so in defending their mission they resorted to mentioning the hundreds of millions dollars appropriated to be distributed for this purpose.

The Lebanese did not notice these details in the Feltman-Benjamin report, until MP Nawwaf Moussawi ascended the Parliament platform at its recent legislative session, and revealed details of the two men's testimonials.

During that session, when Moussawi brought the $500 million U.S. dollars to mention along with other "Feltman-style" report figures and details, he did not find any response, justification or opposition to his interpellation by anyone in Parliament.
Moussawi says: "Some faces went pales, and no one uttered a word."

In his usual calm, Nawwaf Moussawi explained how Hizbullah will face what he describes as the "Soft war" initiated by the U.S. administration more than five years ago. He emphasizes that Hizbullah will continue to study this file and compile its full and complete elements in order to uncover what the U.S. administration did in Lebanon since 2006, even since 2005.

He added that the "Brothers" in Hizbullah will prepare a "Nominal file of who received these funds, be they individuals, non-government associations or written, audio and visual media organizations." He stressed that this issue will be put before all the relevant parliamentary committees.

He asked: "Doesn't it make you wonder that the so-called U.S. support for Lebanese military institutions is 600 million dollars, while its support to associations and institutions sits at 500 million?"

He concluded: "Hence, a civilian Army exists through which the Americans are leading their soft war against Hizbullah."

The member of Loyalty to the Resistance bloc goes on to define the lines along which the Americans are working in their distribution of these funds.

He said "These funds are generated or feed attempts seeking to tarnish Hizbullah image through three levels:
1- Feed Christian fear and suspicion towards the party
2- Distort the picture inside the Sunni community
3- Attempt to distort the image within the Shiaa community"

In a different conclusion: "The U.S. administration is opposing Hizbullah through sectarian and religious incitement."

In his talk about the "Soft war", Moussawi recurs to the scandal of the security agreement the PM Fouad Siniora Government signed with the U.S. Administration in 2007. He says this agreement openly bears a group of U.S. violations against the Lebanese sovereignty and law:
1- Forces Lebanon to adopt the American definition and concept of ‘terrorism'
2- Grants Americans the right to access the personal files of members of the Lebanese military institutions
3- Grants full immunity to any U.S. training institution for any act it carries out
...along with other legal and political scandals.

Moussawi posed a final question saying: "When this open agreement with our State contains this many faults and risks, how threatening and dangerous would the other projects funded by the U.S. Administration be?!"

The answer might be available in a few weeks.