UANI Resource: Perspectives on Lebanon and Hezbollah

Perspectives: Lebanon and Hezbollah  May 24, 2019 Perspectives: Lebanon and Hezbollah, is a UANI weekly resource highlighting developments in Lebanon and the activities of the terrorist group Hezbollah.  Hezbollah Internationally What Message did Qassem Soleimani Deliver to Hezbollah? An-Nahar reported on Wednesday that Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps - Quds Force (IRGC-QF) Commander Qassem Soleimani recently visited Beirut, in light of heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S. The report indicated that Soleimani instructed Hezbollah to avoid actions that could escalate tensions. However, other reports claimed that Soleimani in fact ordered Hezbollah to fire rockets on Israel if Iran is attacked. ISIS Kills Hezbollah Fighters in Syria Based on information from a local activist, a report on Wednesday said that ISIS had killed several Hezbollah fighters and Syrian Army soldiers in a surprise attack on an Assad regime military base located near the town of Jebel Bishri, in the central Syrian district of Homs. The activist also alleged that Hezbollah had recently used civilian buses to transfer 250 of its fighters from positions in Damascus to a central gathering point in Palmyra, before dividing them into smaller groups and deploying them along several points on the Syrian-Iraqi border. In related news, a pro-Syrian opposition source claimed Hezbollah had sent 120 fighters to this area, to reinforce the IRGC and the Assad regime in light of a spike in casualties at the hands of ISIS. Hezbollah Blames Israel for Attack on Ships Hezbollah Executive Council Deputy Chairman Ali Daamoush said Israel likely was responsible for the May 12 sabotage attacks on four commercial ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, near the United Arab Emirates (UAE) port of Fujairah. Hezbollah Prevents Sunni Syrian Families from Returning to Qalamoun The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) claimed that for five years, Hezbollah has been preventing Syrian Sunni families from returning to their homes in the city of Maaloula in western Qalamoun, claiming they are Nusra Front (Jabhat Fateh al-Sham) members. SOHR said Hezbollah exiled one of the city's largest families after arresting 15 of its male members and pursuing others for alleged Nusra Front membership. Hezbollah also forbade 32 other Sunni families from returning to their homes, even though they are in areas controlled by the Assad regime, not the opposition. The report also alleged that Hezbollah burned down several houses belonging to Sunni residents, on accusations of Nusra membership, before exiling them to northern Syria. Some houses, according to the report, were given to families of Hezbollah fighters. Hezbollah Domestically Lebanese Defense Minister: Hezbollah to be Disarmed Through Dialogue Elias Bou Saab, Lebanon's new defense minister, told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that Lebanon intended to begin a dialogue on its long-promised National Defense Strategy, through which all weapons would eventually be solely in the hands of the Lebanese State and the Lebanese Army. Bou Saab said Hezbollah would be included in this dialogue on "how to defend our country through a defense strategy that would devolve upon the army." He added, however, that "the Israeli enemy's threat of war" was one of the factors delaying this dialogue, even though he also dismissed the possibility of war. Association of Banks in Lebanon Cracks Down on Numbered Bank Accounts The Association of Banks in Lebanon ordered its member banks to stop opening numbered bank accounts, and also requested that the banks immediately close down any such accounts that may exist. Sources said that the ABL's directive was part of implementing a financial policy that aligned with U.S. sanctions against Hezbollah and Iran. Lebanon Internationally Progress on Satterfield's Lebanese-Israeli Border Demarcation Efforts Lebanese media outlets reported this week that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfield had made progress on bringing Lebanon and Israel to the negotiation table to resolve their border disputes. According to these reports, Israel has responded positively and with flexibility to Satterfield's efforts, and to several Lebanese conditions. However, some critical points of disagreement remain. Lebanon is insisting that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mediate the talks, through its Tripartite Meeting mechanism, with the U.S. merely being present. It is also insisting on the simultaneous resolution of both the maritime and land border disputes. While the two sides appear to have agreed on a compromise regarding the land border issue, Israel rejects UNIFIL's sponsorship, claiming the peacekeeping force lacks an international mandate to carry out the task. U.S. Patience with Lebanon's "Special Circumstances" Has Run Out A report in Al-Markazia this week said that during his "shuttle diplomacy" to help Israel and Lebanon resolve their border disputes, David Satterfield warned Lebanese officials of the importance of adhering to dissociation in both word and deed, given heightened U.S.-Iran tensions. He also said Lebanon must prevent Hezbollah from acting for Iran by attacking Israel or U.S. targets or interests. Satterfield warned that Lebanon would pay the price if Hezbollah became involved and the U.S. would no longer distinguish between "official Lebanon" and Hezbollah when applying sanctions. He said the United States expected Beirut to act firmly and decisively if Hezbollah joined an Iranian war. Washington, he said, would no longer accept Lebanon justifying inaction with the excuse that Hezbollah is part of the Lebanese social fabric, and that the U.S. would not compromise on this demand. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is a non-partisan, broad-based coalition that is united in a commitment to prevent Iran from fulfilling its ambition to become a regional super-power possessing nuclear weapons.  UANI is an issue-based coalition in which each coalition member will have its own interests as well as the collective goal of advancing an Iran free of nuclear weapons.