reply by
John Calvin
7/1/2002 (21:08) |
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Hezbollah Denies Al-Qaeda Links
Hezbollah freed southern Lebanon from Israeli occupation in May 2000
WASHINGTON, July 1 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Lebanon’s Hezbollah vigorously denied any ties with Al-Qaeda, after a Washington Post report Sunday, June 30, said the two groups were expanding ties between one another.
“We have on several times affirmed that there does not exist, in any form, cooperation between Hezbollah and the Al-Qaeda network, neither in logistical matters, training nor any other domain,” said Sheikh Hassan Ezzedine, head of Hezbollah’s information department.
“The accusations and allegations spread by the American intelligence inscribed in the program means to trick world opinion and raise it against Hezbollah, to serve the goals of the Zionist enemy and cover up the crimes committed against the Palestinian people,” he added.
The Post article, which cited unnamed U.S. and European intelligence officials and terrorism experts, said cooperation between the two groups was expanding.
One unnamed official stated there is “no doubt at all” that Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda have communicated on logistical matters.
The new cooperation, according to the Post, which is ad hoc and tactical, involves mid- and low-level operatives, muting years of rivalry between Hezbollah and Al Qaeda.
The two organizations coordinate explosives and tactics training, money laundering, weapons smuggling and the acquisition of forged documents, according to the daily.
Intelligence experts are concerned that assets of Hezbollah’s formidable military wing will enable the embattled Al-Qaeda network to increase its ability to launch attacks against U.S. targets, the paper said.
It said the new partnership illustrated an evolving pattern of decentralized alliances between groups that want to force the United States out of the Middle East, and Israel out of Palestinian territories.
Hezbollah ousted Israel from south Lebanon in May 2000, ending 22 years of occupation.
The organization, founded by Lebanese clerics in 1982, has two wings. One is political and social, holding nine seats in the Lebanese parliament. The other is military.
The United States placed Hezbollah on its terrorist list in 1997, the Post reported.
U.S. officials believe that when Al-Qaeda was driven out of Afghanistan, its leader, Osama bin Laden, allowed his operatives to ally themselves with helpful Islamic groups, the Post said.
The paper reports that Bin Laden, or top associates, used the internet, especially chat rooms, to convey the message.
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