UI – Part 524 – Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon

Follow the money and you find the culprit. In Lebanon a militant force, now an army, has grown powerful. Hezbollah patrols the highways and byways insisting the people of this once diverse Country bend to their wishes. Iran provides an estimated $700 million yearly to support Hezbollah. This funding has armed Hezbollah with hundreds of rockets able to attack aircraft, as well as munitions and military payrolls.  Iran also controls this group taking the same approach to rule as a bully and as a dominating Shi’a theocratic force.  Lebanon has an army too. But to whom do they report?

Lebanon is the world’s fifth largest per capita recipient of US military funding; it is reportedly a fully committed member of the global anti-ISIS campaign.  But what about their companion army Hezbollah, an ISIS sympathizer? In 2016, the FMF (Foreign Military Funding) payments to Lebanon amounted to $85.9 million. Intended to contain Hezbollah the Lebanese army is losing this offset. The stronger Iran backed military units are taking over. Trump is serious about reducing money to provide arms (weapons, equipment and training) to Lebanon, especially when the materials can fall into the hands of Hezbollah.

The question is whether the aid provided gives access to intelligence otherwise lost. We have no intelligence personnel on the ground in Iran, driven out after the 1979 Revolution and kept out.  With 2018 funding cut by 50% are we simply doing more harm than good to Lebanon and any source we have of underlying events occurring there?  Are we ceding Lebanon to the Mullahs of Iran and their dogmatic militant oversight of the population to control?

Obama aided Hezbollah and Iran by ignoring, although aware, the sales of drugs in the United States that provided funding for both Hezbollah and Iran.  Like Nicaragua and Iran-Contra funding under Reagan, with Ollie North at the helm, such secretive actions can be detrimental to our National interests.

Flag of Hezbollah

Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed Islamist Lebanese terror organization committed to war with Israel and attacking American interests. We have declared them a terrorist organization. Many European countries do so also, yet not Lebanon, to maintain trade.  It could be Hezbollah as the next Al Qaeda, to attack America on our shores. Members of Hezbollah were recently arrested in NYC casing potential targets, like JFK.

Hezbollah is military and political. It wants to control Lebanon. In essence today it already does. Iran has crept across Iraq to Syria and Lebanon after America toppled Saddam and become stronger. Obama’s release of Billions to Iran for signing a worthless agreement regarding nuclear weapons has only served to further Iran’s support for Hezbollah; Hamas (Gaza) too. It may well be that Iran via Hezbollah is also aiding Shiite militants in Syria. The ultimate objective is the destruction of Israel.

Grace and Peace