Hezbollah
Page 30
At times events abroad have brought Hezbollah’s grievances to Canada’s streets. During Israel’s 2008–9 Operation Cast Lead, pro-Hamas and pro-Hezbollah groups staged rallies in several of Canada’s major cities. At one rally in Montreal on January 10, 2009, young people holding Hezbollah flags shouted, “O Nasrallah, O Beloved, strike, strike Tel Aviv!” Protesters then began to light an Israeli flag on fire; as soon as the flag was lit, the crowd erupted in cheers. Individuals shouted, “We’ll sacrifice our soul and shed our blood for you, al-Aqsa [mosque]!” as they burned another Israeli flag, tossed it up and down, and proceeded to stamp on it. Protesters waved the Hezbollah and Palestinian flags and shouted in unison, “Nasrallah! Hezbollah!”187
Canadian government officials sometimes refer to their overall program of vigilantly tracking Hezbollah’s activities in the country as “The Hezbollah Investigation,” as if it were one single case. In fact, the terminology signals the government’s holistic approach to the organization, which is a proscribed terrorist group under Canadian law. As part of this government-wide effort, Ottawa appropriately recognizes that Hezbollah affiliation and support occur along a spectrum. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police itself produced a paper aimed at clarifying the types of activity likely to happen at different points on the spectrum, by people who may be Hezbollah sympathizers, supporters, members, and all the way to trained militants and terrorist operatives.188 In July 2012, one such Canadian Hezbollah operative came to the attention of officials who determined he served as the organizer of a devastating bus bombing in Burgas, Bulgaria.189
On the whole, both American and Canadian officials believe that Hezbollah primarily sees North America as a lucrative place to raise funds, procure weapons and equipment, and engage in other types of logistical support activities. The group likely would not want to put these activities at risk by carrying out an attack in the United States or Canada. But in light of Hezbollah’s ties to Iran and tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, and given the Canadian intelligence reporting that Hezbollah has scouted potential targets in Canada for possible reprisal attacks if Iran’s nuclear sites are hit, officials in neither country take much comfort in their countries’ status as cash cows for Hezbollah leaders. Nasrallah’s promise of an “open war” against Israel, and evidence of further surveillance in Canada tied to that pledge, is still further unsettling.
As the FBI concluded back in 1994, while Hezbollah’s leaders in Lebanon might be reluctant to jeopardize the safe fund-raising and procurement environment its operatives now enjoy in North America, they could still decide to call for attacks in reaction to perceived threats to the group or its interests.190 Two years after the FBI wrote this assessment, and a decade before the July 2006 war that led Canadian officials to seriously consider the whiplash effect Hezbollah’s attacks abroad could have in Canada, Hezbollah executed one of its most sophisticated attacks ever, targeting US forces stationed in Saudi Arabia.
Notes
1. William Rosenau and Sara Daly, “American Journeys to Jihad: U.S. Extremism and Foreign Conflicts During the 1980s and 1990s,” CTC Sentinel 3, no. 8 (August 2010): 17–20; American Jihadist: The Life and Times of Isa Abdullah Ali, DVD, directed by Mark Claywell (Philadelphia, PA: Breaking Glass Pictures, 2011).
2. American Jihadist.
3. Ibid.
4. William Branigin, “U.S. Sniper in Beirut: Abdullah from D.C. Hunts Israeli Targets,” Washington Post, July 29, 1982.
5. American Jihadist.
6. Branigin, “U.S. Sniper in Beirut.”
7. American Jihadist.
8. Ibid.
9. Rosenau and Daly, “American Journeys to Jihad.”
10. Ranstorp, Hizb’Allah in Lebanon, 91–92.
11. Author telephone interview with Tod Robberson, April 6, 2012.
12. Ibid.; Associated Press, “British Journalist Foils Kidnap Attempt in Beirut,” Observer Report (Greene County, PA), September 27, 1986.
13. Author telephone interview with Tod Robberson, April 6, 2012.
14. Ibid.; Tod Robberson, “Bad Night in West Beirut,” Washington Post, December 16, 1990.
15. Robberson, “Bad Night in West Beirut.”
16. Ibid.; author telephone interview with Tod Robberson, April 6, 2012.
17. Eric Friedman, “Our Man in Bosnia,” Washington City Paper, February 9, 1996.
18. Robberson, “Bad Night in West Beirut.”
19. Author telephone interview with Tod Robberson, April 6, 2012.
20. American Jihadist.
21. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud, et al., “Maxell VHS Tape Containing Televised Interview with Hassan Nasrallah,” Verbatim transcript, FD-302, file #265B-CE-82188, transcribed March 3, 2001.
22. Brian Blomquist, “‘Terrorist’ Was a Regular in Adams Morgan Bar,” Washington Times, January 26, 1996.
23. Friedman, “Our Man in Bosnia.”
24. American Jihadist.
25. Author telephone interview with Tod Robberson, April 6, 2012.
26. US Department of Justice, FBI, “International Radical Fundamentalism.”
27. Ibid.
28. Diaz and Newman, Lightning Out of Lebanon, 101.
29. Ibid., 155–56.
30. United States of America v. Bassam Gharib Makki, United States District Court, District of Columbia, 98-334 (PLF), February 26, 1999 (affidavit by Special Agent Michael J. Hudspeth, US Diplomatic Security Service).
31. Coll, Ghost Wars, 276.
32. Diaz and Newman, Lightning Out of Lebanon, 97–100; United States of America v. Bassam Gharib Makki, United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, 99-3664-STB, November 4, 1999 (affidavit by Special Agent James D. Combs, US Diplomatic Security Service).
33. United States of America v. Bassam Gharib Makki, Presentence Investigation Report, United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, CR 98-334-01, February 12, 1999, p. 15.
34. United States of America v. Bassam Gharib Makki, Memorandum in Aid of Sentencing, United States District Court, District of Columbia, 98-334 (PLF), March 2, 1999.
35. “Unos 50 Supuestos Extremistas Fueron Investigados en las Tres Fronteras,” Asunción ABC, July 17, 2005.
36. United States of America v. Bassam Gharib Makki, Opinion, United States District Court, District of Columbia, 98-0334(PLF), 47 F. Supp. 2d 25, April 20, 1999.
37. Diaz and Newman, Lightning Out of Lebanon, 99–100; United States of America v. Bassam Gharib Makki, Presentence Investigation Report, 3.
38. United States of America v. Bassam Gharib Makki, Opinion.
39. United States of America v. Bassam Gharib Makki, United States District Court, District of Columbia, 98-334 (PLF), March 1, 1999 (affidavit by FBI Special Agent Hector Rodriguez).
40. Ibid.
41. Ibid.
42. Ibid.
43. Diaz and Newman, Lightning Out of Lebanon, 104–5.
44. Ibid., 103.
45. United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, “Seven Charged with Illegal Export of Electronics to U.S.-Designated Terrorist Entity in Paraguay,” press release, February 19, 2010.
46. US Department of the Treasury, “Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising Network in the Triple Frontier of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay,” press release, December 6, 2006.”
47. “Lebanese Prisoner in Miami Is the Cousin of Individual Involved in Attack” (Spanish) ABC Color (Asunción), February 24, 2010; Hudson, Terrorist and Organized Crime Groups in the Tri-Border Area, 77.
48. US Department of the Treasury, “Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising”; United States of America v. Mehdi et al., US District Court, Southern District of Florida, Case No. 09-20852.
49. United States of America v. Mehdi et al., US District Court, Southern District of Florida, Case No. 09-20852.
50. US Department of the Treasury, “Treasury Targets Hizballah Fundraising Network in the Triple Frontier.”
5
1. Jay Weaver, “Export-Law Violator Sentenced,” Miami Herald, January 22, 2011.
52. Diaz and Newman, Lightning Out of Lebanon, 93–94.
53. Timothy J. Burger and Elaine Shannon, “Hizballah Is Moving Up the Threat Chart,” Time, February 25, 2003.
54. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 14, 2002, p. 1779.
55. Ibid., 1784–85.
56. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 13, 2002, pp. 1780, 1830–31.
57. Mohammed Zaatari, “Hizbullah Scout Movement Trains Young Soldiers,” Daily Star (Beirut), August 24, 2004.
58. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, Government exhibit, pp. 270–72; one photo not put into trial evidence; included in a PowerPoint presentation by Kenneth Bell, “Hizballah Fundraising in the American Heartland,” PolicyWatch 700, Washington Institute for Near East Policy (Washington, DC), January 15, 2003.
59. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 10, 2002, p. 1345; “VHS Tape Containing a Home Video of Mohamad Hammoud’s Family in Lebanon,” transcribed 03/06/2001, FD-302, 265B-CE-82188.
60. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 14–18, 2002, pp. 1836, 2267.
61. US Department of the Treasury, “Twin Treasury Actions Take Aim at Hizballah’s Support Network,” July 24, 2007.
62. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, May 23, 2002, pp. 158–59.
63. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 14, 2002, pp. 1768, 1789.
64. Diaz and Newman, Lightning Out of Lebanon, 13.
65. Cyrus Miryekta, “Hezbollah in the Tri-Border Area of South America,” Small Wars Journal, September 10, 2010.
66. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, May 23–June 18, 2002, pp. 65–66, 2158.
67. Ibid., 1792.
68. Diaz and Newman, Lightning Out of Lebanon, 75.
69. Manuel Roig-Franzia, “Smuggler Denies Aiding Hezbollah; Jury Weighs Question of Funds for Terror,” Washington Post, June 20, 2002.
70. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, May 23, 2002, pp. 108–9.
71. Ibid., May 23–June 14, 2002, pp. 78–79, 108–9, 1843.
72. Ibid., 106.
73. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud, et al., Bill of Indictment, July 31, 2000.
74. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 14, 2002, p. 1796.
75. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 3, 2002, pp. 654, 656–57, 660; Diaz and Newman, Lightning Out of Lebanon, 88–89.
76. United States of America v. Mohamad Yousef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 3, 2002, pp. 731–32.
77. Diaz and Newman, Lightning Out of Lebanon, 167.
78. Robert Fromme and Rick Schwein, “Operation Smokescreen: A Successful Interagency Collaboration,” FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 76, no. 12 (December 2007): 20–25.
79. Fromme and Schwein, “Operation Smokescreen”; Bell, “Hizballah Fundraising in the American Heartland.”
80. Bell, “Hizballah Fundraising in the American Heartland.”
81. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, May 24, 2002, p. 244; Bell, “Hizballah Fundraising in the American Heartland.”
82. David Kaplan, “Homegrown Terrorists: How a Hezbollah Cell Made Millions in Sleepy Charlotte, N.C.,” U.S. News and World Report, March 10, 2003, p. 30.
83. Faye Bowers, “Terror-Cell Alliance at Work in US?” Christian Science Monitor, July 15, 2002.
84. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, “Appendix: Summary of Cigarette Purchases, after Allocation of Unidentified Wholesale Account Purchases,” June 10, 2002; this slide was included in the PowerPoint presentation that accompanied his lecture, Bell, “Hizballah Fundraising in the American Heartland.”
85. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 5, 2002, pp. 1002–3.
86. Ibid., 1011–13.
87. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 18, 2002, p. 2156; Bell, “Hizballah Fundraising in the American Heartland.”
88. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 10, 2002, pp. 1502–3.
89. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 10, 2002, p. 1497.
90. Ibid., 1890; Tim Whitmire, “Hammoud Testifies in Own Defense in Hezbollah Trial,” Associated Press, June 15, 2002.
91. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 10, 2002, pp. 1500–1504.
92. Ibid., June 14, 2002, pp. 1910–12.
93. Ibid., June 7, 2002, pp. 1287, 1289.
94. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 7, 2002, p. 1235; Tim Whitmire, “Trio of Witnesses Tie Brothers to Hezbollah Donations,” Associated Press, June 8, 2002.
95. US Department of Homeland Security, “Mohamad Youssef Hammoud Sentenced to 30 Years in Terrorism Financing Case,” press release, January 27, 2011.
96. Kaplan, “Homegrown Terrorists,” 30.
97. Ibid.
98. Ibid.
99. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 18, 2002, pp. 2218–19.
100. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 3, 2002, pp. 671–72.
101. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 4, 2002, p. 850; Diaz and Newman, Lightning Out of Lebanon, 86; United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, May 23, 2002, pp. 82–83.
102. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, “Micro Cassette Tape,” summary of a recorded telephone conversation, transcribed January 28, 2002.
103. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 10, 2002, p. 1457.
104. Ibid., May 29, 2002, p. 599.
105. Ibid., 552–53.
106. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 7, 2002, pp. 1188–89.
107. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 10, 2002, pp. 1487–88.
108. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 7, 2002, p. 1126.
109. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, “VHS Tape Containing Hizballah Parade in Celebration of ‘Jerusalem International Day’ Including Speeches for Nasserallah,” FD-302, 265B-CE-82188, transcribed March 14, 2001.
110. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, May 23, 2002, pp. 74–76, 81, 88.
111. Kaplan, “Homegrown Terrorists,” 30.
112. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 18, 2002, p. 2217.
113. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 7, 2002, p. 1184.
114. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 5, 2002, pp. 999–1000; United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, “Letter Written in Arabic to Mohamad from Abu Adam dated 2/15/97,” FD-302, 265B-CE-82188, transcribed January 22, 2001.
115. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, “VHS Tape Titled Words for Abbas Mousawy, an Interview with the Prisoners, an Investigative Report about the Martyrdom Operations, Poems,” FD-302, 265B-CE-82188, transcribed March 13, 2001.
116. Unite
d States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, May 23, 2002, pp. 67–68.
117. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, May 23, 2002, p. 35.
118. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, “Letter Written in Arabic to Mohamad (LNU) from Abbas alHaraka,” 265B-CE-82188, transcribed January 23, 2001.
119. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 18, 2002, p. 2196.
120. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, “Letter Written in Arabic to Mohamad (LNU) from Abbas alHaraka.”
121. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 18, 2002, p. 2197.
122. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, “Letter Written in Arabic to Mohamad Hammoud from Sheik Abbas Alaa, Not Dated,” FD-302, 265B-CE-82188, transcribed January 29, 2001.
123. “Alleged Hezbollah Front Raided in Michigan,” Anti-Defamation League, July 30, 2007.
124. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 5, 2002, pp. 1011–12.
125. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, May 23, 2002, pp. 69, 71.
126. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 12, 2002, pp. 1640–41; Tim Whitmire, “Prosecutors Rest Case against Brothers Linked to Hezbollah,” Associated Press, June 13, 2002.
127. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 18, 2002, p. 2213.
128. United States of America v. Mohamad Youssef Hammoud and Chawki Youssef Hammoud, June 12, 2002, pp. 1609–12, 1621; Paul Nowell, “Hammoud Threatened Anyone Who Tied Him to Hezbollah,” Associated Press, June 12, 2002.