General

ICG: Hizbullah Changes its Goal!

p06_20140609_pic1As it is defined, the International Crisis Group is “an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to preventing and resolving deadly conflict.”

This independent and non-partisan organization is funded by 19 governments, including the United States, European Union, Canada, Australia, Turkey and Britain, etc., in addition to oil companies as “British Petroleum” and “State Oil” besides a number of other open and secret funders.

Starting with Lebanese Ghassan Salamé (Lebanon’s former Minister of Culture in 2000-2003), who is presently serving as Vice President of the board of the ICG, and Niamat Iframe (Lebanese businessman and former president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists), both of them are supporters of this organization.

On the same list, “Israeli” President Shimon Perez is marked as one of the high consultants in ICG.

In addition, former Saudi intelligence chief Turki el-Faisal, and Shlomo Ben-Ami (the former minister of Internal Security in 1999-2001 as well as the former foreign minister in 2000-2001), and Stanley Fischer, who served as governor of the Bank of “Israel” from 2005 to 2013, are also part of the group.

Additionally, on the list is Nahum Barnea, one of the most aggressive “Israeli” journalists against Palestinians and Arabs, in addition to former officials in US foreign ministry and the former leaders in NATO [The North Atlantic Treaty Organization].

Thus, a look at these names will enable one to see how a former Lebanese minister is working alongside the “Israeli” president within the same organization that aims “to prevent deadly conflicts”! Is this reasonable?!

ICG alleges through its official website that what distinguishes it from other organizations working on conflict prevention and resolution is a unique combination of field-based analysis, practical policy prescriptions and high-level advocacy. But, has its recent report shown this?

The recent Middle East Report N°153 entitled, “Lebanon’s Hizbullah Turns Eastward to Syria” (issued on May 27, 2014) has talked about Hizbullah’s participation in the Syrian crisis, and leaving the “Israeli” front.

This report is shown as a political comment void of what they called, “field-based analysis.” It is merely based on opinions and analyses- not on facts and evidences.

The report did not mention specific names, stating only anonymous persons such as, “Hizbullah supporter,” “Syrian activist,” “resident in southern suburb of Beirut,” “taxi driver”… considering them as an adequate sample for deducting a political conclusion.

Furthermore, it lacks field information about the places, the operations and the diffusion of Hizbullah in Syria.

Moreover, it has used general and ambiguous expressions that effective reports avoid such as, “a number of Lebanese” and “lots of Syrians.” Where are the exact numbers and averages?

Under the title of “Hubris,” the report talked about “Hizbullah’s acts against the Lebanese” to say that Shiites are more protected than others. It has stated that Hizbullah doesn’t allow security forces to enter the region under its control, and prevents judicial authorities from pursuing and arresting Shiites. Are Lebanese jails empty from Shiites? Is there any such evidence? No.

Meanwhile, the report is based on nothing other than anonymous names, unspecified numbers and sectarian expressions. It is only a group of political comments and journalistic opinions and analyses.

However, the names of some members in the organization, funders and consultants indeed reflect the exact purpose of such a provocative report.

Back to top button