Wars have been fought for various reasons around the world but it has been recorded that some of the internecine, bloody and protected conflicts that have been going on for many years are bordered on both fanatically religious reason and for gaining political hegemony.
Young people have been brainwashed and recruited to tout guns, fire bombs, kill brutally with the feeling and impression that they are indeed really doing the right thing despite the fact that lives are being consumed, properties destroyed and development stalled. It has been established that in most of these cases there are powerful and influential backers who have been pumping huge financial resources to purchase arms and ammunition as well as gingering up the morale of the combatants. The Hezbollah party in Southern Beirut, Lebanon is no exception. This armed group is been financed by powerful financiers not only from Lebanon but from other parts of the world including Africa, Sierra Leone not excluded.
In an effort to exert financial pressure on Hezbollah’s global network, the US Government is offering $10 million for information on three of its financiers: Mohammed Bazzy, Adham Tabaja and Ali Charara.
This announcement was made from Washington recently as three senior officials, Assistant Secretary for State for Diplomatic Security Michael Evanoff, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing Marshall Billingslea, and Ambassador-at-Large and Coordinator for Counterterrorism Nathan Sales briefed journalists.
The officials said that the three men are part of Hezbollah’s financial “modus operandi”, and operate on four continents running construction and infrastructure companies that help finance the Lebanese armed party and offer “a diverse stream of funding.” The intention of the reward is to obtain information that leads to these three men, and a “transnational paper trail that implicates companies” funding Hezbollah.
“These are not the only financiers that we know,” Mr Billingslea said. Asked if the US is planning to go after the three men’s companies that fund the Shia political party, he said that currently the country is seeking “information on documents that take to Hezbollah.”
Mr Billingslea added that the US is not intending to go after the Shia community in Lebanon. “We are focused on Hezbollah, not on Shia community,” he said.
Mr. Sales said it was vital to protect Lebanese financial and banking sector, but noted that “any conversation about Hezbollah must begin in Tehran.” He warned that Hezbollah is applying lessons it learned in Syria in sponsoring and training militants elsewhere in the region “such as Bahrain.” The US official said that the party’s reach is wider than previously reported, saying it spans as far as places like Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Peru. “There is no such thing as a political wing of Hezbollah,” he said, adding that US sanctions were hurting the group.
The US “rewards for justice” statement estimated that Hezbollah “earns almost one billion dollars annually through direct financial support from Iran, international businesses and investments, donor networks, corruption, and money laundering activities.”
The statement identified Adham Husayn Tabaja as a Lebanese citizen born in 1967 in Kfartebnit. His passport number is RL1294089 (Lebanon) and the US called him “a Hezbollah member who maintains direct ties to senior Hezbollah organisational elements, including the terrorist group’s operational component, Islamic Jihad. Tabaja also holds properties in Lebanon on behalf of the group.”
As far as Mr. Tabaja’s businesses are concerned. “He is majority owner of the Lebanon-based real estate development and construction firm Al-Inmaa Group for Tourism Works”, the US Government said. He also owns Tabaja, Al-Inmaa Group for Tourism Works, and its subsidiaries were designated by Washington in 2015. Saudi Arabia has also designated Mr. Tabaja and his companies.
The second subject, Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzy, is identified as “a key Hezbollah financier, who has provided millions of dollars” to the group. The statement said that Mr Bazzi owns or controls Global Trading Group NV, Euro African Group LTD, Africa Middle East Investment Holding SAL, Premier Investment Group SAL Offshore, and Car Escort Services S.A.L. Off Shore. The US designated Mr Bazzy and his affiliated companies in May 2018.
Mr. Bazzy officially holds the Lebanese and Belgian passport, but he also has at least five other passports for countries including the UK, Sierra Leone and Gambia, according to the documents.
The last member targeted is Ali Youssef Charara, identified as “a key financier for Hezbollah as well as Chairman and General Manager of Lebanon-based telecommunications company Spectrum Investment Group Holding SAL.”
The officials singled out Iraq as one area where Hezbollah financial activities have sprouted and where Mr. Tabaja operates.
According to investigation Ibrahim Bazzy is a very sly and shrewd business man who operates clandestinely though he has businesses he runs as legitimate entities. He is so influential to such an extent that he has bulldozed his way in various political administrations that have took over the rein of governance in Sierra Leone allegedly dishing out mouth-watering bribe to public officials who most time leave him off the hook and give him the leeway to always get what he wants. Said to be very slippery as a fish, he has a network of other Lebanese nationals who share his ideology and are very loyal to him ready at any time to execute his commands and wishes.
While innocent children, mothers are dying as a result of the Hezbollah activities individuals like Ibrahim Bazzy, Adham Tabaja and Ali Charara are sponsoring terrorism with impunity.
