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Lebanon Interview Former Hezbollah Chief: ‘Tehran Is Only Investing in Lebanon’S Shia to Serve Its Own Interests’

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Lebanon Interview Former Hezbollah Chief: ‘Tehran Is Only Investing in Lebanon’S Shia to Serve Its Own Interests’ 10 May 8, 2016 News & Analysis Lebanon Interview Former Hezbollah chief: ‘Tehran is only investing in Lebanon’s Shia to serve its own interests’ Mohamad Kawas Hezbollah chief confirmed that the group is using various social, cul- tural and economic pressures, seek- Beirut ing to ensure that Lebanon’s Shias remain in their corner, however re- ubhi al-Tufayli served as the luctantly. first secretary-general of He warned that Hezbollah’s do- Hezbollah from 1989-91, al- mestic and regional opponents were though the group was very playing into the group’s hands by different then compared to acting as if it were truly the sole rep- Snow under Sayyed Hassan Nasral- resentative of Lebanon’s Shias, fail- lah. Since leaving the group in 1992, ing to pay attention or provide sup- Tufayli has become an increasingly port to voices of dissent within the vocal critic of it, particularly over its Shia community. perceived subordination to Tehran. Tufayli said he was referring in The Arab Weekly met with Tu- particular to the Resistance and fayli at his home in Ain Bourday, Development Bloc, an electoral al- a small village in the Bekaa valley liance between Hezbollah and Amal not far from Baalbek. For Tufayli, Movement during Lebanon’s 2005 who says he remains committed to elections. Other Shia political par- the interests of Lebanon’s Shias, it ties or politicians who objected to is not a question of his leaving the the new Shia political makeup were group but rather of Hezbollah leav- ignored, he said. ing him behind. “We wanted a party Iran exploited perceived fears of openness but Hezbollah became about Shias’ place and role in Leba- one of the most closed-off parties,” nese politics, Tufayli said, adding he said. that this resulted in the complex and sectarian political outlook that “The army’s dominates Lebanese politics. “Now, decision-making each sect has its supporter,” he said. belongs to “This has become something nor- Hezbollah.” mal in Lebanon but, of course, it is Subhi al-Tufayli wrong. “Tehran is only investing in Leba- Hezbollah has become an increas- non’s Shia to serve its own inter- Former secretary-general of Hezbollah Sheikh Subhi al-Tufayli. ingly strong presence in Lebanon’s ests.” political scene, to the point that it is Tufayli accused domestic and re- able to influence foreign policy and gional parties of working to ensure surrounding Michel Samaha’s inno- He criticised Hezbollah for being a who is fighting alongside the Rus- relations with other countries. that “there is no voice within Leba- cence? Whose interests are served “partner in the killing of the Syrian sians [in Syria] is a Russian agent Commenting on the recent ten- non’s Shia community that is not by all this?” Tufayli asked. “This people”, saying that the Hezbollah who is fighting and dying in a con- sions between Beirut and Riyadh, tied to Iran”, adding that this com- only serves Iran’s interests.” leadership was aware that its in- flict that has nothing to do with Tufayli said he was more surprised plicates the political scene at a time Rifi resigned as Justice minister in volvement in Syria was unpopular, them. Any Hezbollah fighter who by Saudi Arabia’s decision to pro- when Lebanon seems no closer to February in protest over former In- but is continuing this regardless. dies in Syria is shedding his blood in vide the Lebanese Army with es- electing a new president than it did formation minister Michel Samaha As for fear-mongering about Sun- a wider American-Russian conflict,” sential military assistance than its two years ago. being released on bail after serving ni extremists and takfirists, this is a Tufayli said. subsequent decision to halt that aid Lebanon has been without a presi- just eight months of a four-and-a- front to retroactively justify Hezbol- Dismissing claims that Hezbollah in protest over the Lebanese govern- dent for nearly two years. The initial half-year prison sentence after be- lah’s involvement in Syria. “When is fighting ISIS and other Islamist ment’s failure to endorse Arab and competition had been between Free ing convicted of smuggling explo- Hezbollah first began fighting in Syr- groups, he asked: “If you claim to be Islamic condemnation of attacks on Patriotic Movement leader Michel sives from Syria into Lebanon and ia, there was no Islamic State (ISIS) fighting ISIS, then why are you in Al- Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic missions Aoun and Lebanese Forces leader planning attacks. Samaha has close or al-Nusra Front,” he pointed out. Zabadani, Aleppo and Idlib, where in Iran. Samir Geagea, although Geagea has ties to both Hezbollah and the Assad Tufayli called on Lebanon’s Shias there is no ISIS?” “The army’s decision-making be- subsequently endorsed Aoun, who regime. not to believe that Iran has their best The former Hezbollah chief con- longs to Hezbollah. The army must is a member of the Hezbollah-led Commenting on Hezbollah’s on- interests at heart, stressing that Teh- cluded: “What we are seeing today follow wherever Hezbollah leads,” March 8 alliance. going involvement in the Syrian ran is concerned only about itself. will one day be judged as one of the he said. “Who paid General Aoun to move conflict, and the spillover into Leba- He called on the group’s fighters to most shameful periods in Shia histo- Hezbollah bills itself as the sole towards Hezbollah? Who caused non, Tufayli said: “The Shia mood leave Syria, particularly after Rus- ry and we will curse what happened defender of Lebanon’s Shias but this Geagea to ally with Aoun? Why has in Lebanon is opposed to the Syrian sia’s military intervention, which during this period.” is a label that Tufayli disputes. “Leb- former Justice minister [Ashraf Rifi] regime and it already tasted 29 years began in September 2015, turned anon’s Shias do not all belong to one become a persona non grata after of bitterness when the Damascus re- the conflict into a proxy war. Mohamad Kawas is a Lebanese flock,” he said. Although the former refusing to endorse the mockery gime ruled over Lebanon.” “Let me say clearly that anybody writer. Tensions endure between Amal and Hezbollah Mohamad Kawas Movement as the originator and “alliance”. This was a translation of Hezbollah as a secondary branch. Iranian hegemony over Syria, again For them, Hezbollah is nothing despite empty talk of alliances. Beirut more than an Amal offshoot. They Hezbollah, at Tehran’s behest, is recall that Hezbollah chief Hassan directly embroiled in the conflict here is no outward evi- Nasrallah, as well as many other that is raging in Syria, fighting di- dence of division between Hezbollah senior figures, grew up as rectly alongside Syrian troops and Lebanon’s main Shia fac- part of the Amal Movement before Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards tions — the Amal Move- turning against it. Corps. ment and Hezbollah — but Amal leader Nabih Berri flatly re- Ta closer look reveals that many in fused to involve his own group in Hezbollah members Hezbollah feel that the partnership have little faith in their the conflict, despite Amal’s historic between the groups does not accu- Amal counterparts. ties to Damascus. Berri does not rately represent the true balance of believe that Syria, under President power within Lebanon’s Shia com- Bashar Assad, is a continuation of munity, given Hezbollah’s popular- One major bone of contention is Hafez Assad’s Syria, even if he has ity and military strength. the enduring mystery surround- expressed his solidarity with the As- There is little love lost between ing the fate of Amal founder Musa sad regime. Berri does not believe members of the two groups, which al-Sadr and the contradiction be- that the collapse of the Assad regime share a bloody history, including tween Sadr’s hopes and views and represents an existential threat to fighting on opposing sides during the Islamic Revolution in Iran, a A 2014 file picture of Lebanese celebrating Resistance and Lebanon’s Shias. That is the differ- Lebanon’s civil war in the 1980s. cause that has been subsequently Liberation Day with Hezbollah flags, an Amal movement party ence between Hezbollah and Amal. Although the two groups have since embraced by Hezbollah. A new book flag (L) a Syrian flag (C) and a Lebanese flag (R) in Bint Jbeil. In addition, Berri enjoys a broad made up and are members of the by Columbia University Professor margin of communication with all of same March 8 political alliance, ten- Andrew Cooper (The Fall of Heaven: ship with the soon-to-be-deposed terest is promoting the Khomeinist Lebanon’s political factions, includ- sions remain. The Pahlavis and the Final Days of shah. More than four years after the principle of velayat-e faqih (Guardi- ing those that oppose Damascus. Imperial Iran) asserts that Sadr’s dis- collapse of the Qaddafi regime, the anship of the Jurist). Berri is able to communicate with There is little love lost appearance in Libya in 1978 came as circumstances surrounding the dis- The bloody conflict between Hez- Arab capitals that oppose the Assad between members of part of a conflict between Sadr and appearance of the Amal Movement bollah and the Amal Movement in regime at a time when an increasing the two groups, which the men who would soon take over leader remain a mystery. the 1980s was part of a wider proxy number of regional and internation- share a bloody history. Iran. Cooper’s book can be added to war between Damascus, which was al bodies have designated Hezbollah “What is new is that the moder- other documents and revelations supporting Amal, and Tehran, which a terrorist organisation.
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