Terror Gang Controls Beirut Rebuilding Project
Charles Johnson
Sun Nov 18, 2007 at 7:04 pm PST • Views: 676
The international funds that were supposed to help the Lebanese government rebuild after Hizballah’s war with Israel are going straight into the hands of … Hizballah.
BEIRUT, Lebanon - The Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah has launched a massive project to rebuild south Beirut, devastated in last year’s war with Israel — and it’s paying for much of the construction with international donor funds that were meant to strengthen its top rival, the Lebanese government.
Western-backed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora’s government has been distributing the funds as compensation to families whose homes were destroyed by Israeli bombardment so they can build anew.
But in south Beirut, long a Hezbollah stronghold, most of the families have promised to give their compensation — about $53,000 each — to the militant group to redevelop the devastated area in an ambitious plan likely to bolster Hezbollah’s standing.
The money going into the government’s family compensation program comes mainly from Islamic and Arab nations, chief among them Saudi Arabia — a strong supporter of Saniora and opponent of Hezbollah — which has given $570 million, said Sanaa al-Jack, government spokeswoman for relief and reconstruction projects.
Frank says: