There was no Hezbullah Cell

Submitted by chawki hammoud (Lebanon), Sep 28, 2008 at 19:50

Ms. Hilda Davis stated that my response is pure lies. To begin with, I am in my country where Hizbullah are given their true name, national heroes. I live in a country where few hundred fighters defeated Israel twice, once when they liberated the land in 2000 and once they stopped the Israeli aggression in 2006.

Had I supported Hezbullah, I would've proudly admitted it. I am in my country and I love it and I love our heroes. But like youre article, all of this case is based on lies. We knew better, we knew Hezbullah is not welcomed by the US government, but that did't stop us from expressing our political view because we believed that freedom of speech is sacred for everyone, I think not.

It is no secret that Hezbullah is supported through hundreds of millions of dollars directly from Iran and Syria. Hezullah is the second biggest employer in Lebanon after the Lebanese government. It runs its own profit and non-profit institution. It has its own media and its foreign relation. With the exception of Hezbullah secretary, Hezbullah leaders travel freely all over the world and meets international leaders including US best allies, the European whom the US excerted tremendous pressure to list Hezbullah on their terrorism list without success. Only Britain listed the military wing on its own list I believe.

I hate to disappoint Ms. Hilda. There was no Hezbullah cell in charlotte and Hezbullah's didn't need pocket money from us. Instead of fighting the real terrorist, you made a lie and you believed it. Israel was unable to defeat Hezbullah because they are heroes and not terrorist. Otherwise, how come Israel waged a war with full US support and lost the war.

Hezbullah has supporters from the majority of the country including the majority of the Christians who stood hands in hands together against the Israeli aggression. We are closer to the truth and we know Israel invaded my country many times, long before Hezbullah existed and they always have their own justification with no regards to the international laws.

As a reminder, people who smuggled cigarattes from NC to Michigan didn't make good money. The difference on taxes on a carton of cigarette is $10. A gas station owner who bought cartons from NC became at risk and needed his share of the tax diference. Add the cost of a caravan that moved the load and the driver cost , gas, competition, a 1000 carton average load would make about $500 net profit. A thirty thousand worth of cigarette sales would profit about $500. Most people used to make one weekly trip, some did two. It wasn't a very smart business. That's why all people went out of this business long before they got arrested.

It is funny that the US government has time to make headlines out of cigarette smuggling case and Hezbullah has no time ask to what really happened.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".