15/01/2019
12218 times read
15/01/2019
12218 times read
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WHEN a country falls under the control of militias, the scene becomes horrific just like the current situation in Lebanon where the militias of Amal Movement (Hope Movement) hold Libya’s government and its people accountable for the crime committed by Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 1978.
Gaddafi’s regime was accused of being behind the disappearance of Musa Al-Sadr and his companion. In reality, Lebanon holds the victim accountable; instead of the culprit whose regime fell and leadership ended with his death in the hands of revolutionists in Libya.
Ironically, Amal Movement was in the frontline in supporting the revolution in 2011 through the media. Apparently, the strained politics, or rather, the riot by Amal supporters in the last few days is a message addressed to Lebanon, not just Libya and the Arabs.
The Arab Economic and Social Development Summit scheduled for later this month is an opportunity for this country, which is devastated by debts due to the control of militias and prevailing quota system since the end of civil war in 1992. This is due to the fact that those trading with blood transferred their conflict over people’s daily bread and blood from the streets to institutions.
They divided it while carrying out lame acts on the table when they devoured the orphan’s wealth insolently and in an unprecedented manner. After this riot, bravo to the Libyan State Council for boycotting the summit due to the humiliation it received.
This refers to what they call in Libya as Amal’s hoodlums that will never allow any Arab initiative deemed beneficial to their country. This will persist as long as a foreign hand is pulling strings in Lebanon in terms of taking decisions tainted with Iranian terrorism through what is known as ‘Hezbollah’, which is being operated by someone who assumes he is the second in command in the country.
Amal Movement and its chairperson, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, are taking advantage of the case on the disappearance of Musa Al-Sadr to further worsen conditions in Lebanon; especially after the Lebanese finance minister’s statement which made the economy worst on the eve of the summit. Berri requested for postponement of the summit without disclosing his reasons.
Therefore, it appears this is an organized riot whose objectives are best known to those pulling the strings of these militias. Almost two decades ago, a segment of Lebanese political Shia groups opposed the invitation of Libya to the 2002 Arab League Summit in Beirut.
Nevertheless, the Libyan delegation attended the summit, albeit with low level of representation. Perhaps, this happened due to pressure imposed by ‘friends’ at the time; and it seems things in this regard changed today. The barbarism and demagoguery practiced and continue to be practiced by Amal Movement under the leadership of Berri contradict the teachings of Holy Quran which states: “No laden soul bears the load of another.”
The best example of their act is that they kidnapped Hannibal, Gaddafi’s son, who is standing trial in Beirut over the disappearance of Al-Sadr despite being a toddler at the time of the disappearance in 1978.
The kidnapping of Gaddafi’s son by Amal Movement is in violation of international conventions and agreements, given that he is under an official asylum program in Syria, but unfortunately, no one seems to heed this.
Therefore, it appears the situation in Lebanon has never changed over the past 35 years when then American State Secretary George P. Shultz said: “Beirut is a city afflicted with plague.” This is due to the practices of militia groups there operated by Amal Movement in the outskirts of the Lebanese capital.
Perhaps, it is vital for Lebanon to be on the bench until it exits from the control of militia groups and return to its natural state. This is necessary for Arab countries in terms of following the footsteps of Libya in freezing diplomatic relations in a bid to avoid diplomats to become hostage in the hands of ‘Amal’ and ‘Hezbollah’ as it happened in the 1980s, especially when Iran endured similar international isolation as was the case at the time it used Lebanon as ground for settling terrorist scores with the world.
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times