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Thread: Lebanon: Fakhoury Affair

  1. #1

    Default Lebanon: Fakhoury Affair

    To summarise, Amer Fakhoury is a member of the now practically disbanded (currently only serves as an unrecognized party in Israel) South Lebanon Army, a predominantly Christian militia, which served as an Israeli proxy during the country's civil was and the subsequent hostilities. Its rule in southern Lebanon was marked by several abuses and human rights violations, the most notorious of which is the Khiam prison, where inmates were regularly tortured and harmed by their captors. In 2000, following the unilateral withdrawal of the Israeli Army from occupied Lebanon (with the exception of the Shebaa farms), the SLA was smashed by the regular army and Hezbollah, so its members fled abroad, mainly to Israel and secondarily to the United States.



    In what concerns specifically Amer Fakhoury, who worked as a warden in Khiam, he emigrated to United States, having also received the American citizenship, but during last September he returned to his homeland. He was recognized by his victims and promptly detained by the authorities, as he was accused of overseeing the torturing of hundreds of dissidents. Several American politicians, including the Democrat senator of New Hampshire (where Fakhoury lives) and Republican Ted Cruz, who has quite a rocky relationship with Near East Christians, reacted aggressively to the arrest, by sponsoring a bill for the imposition of economic sanctions to Lebanon, unless Fakhoury is released.

    In March, Fakhoury was indeed released and allowed to leave Lebanon, under the justification that the statutory limitations for his crimes had expired. However, many Lebanese disagreed with the judiciary verdict, as they perceived it as a fragile excuse, designed to hide the true reason for Fakhoury's escape, namely the threat posed to bankrupt Lebanon by the measures of Washington (Donald Trump expressed his satisfaction over the news). In my opinion, this incident is a clear demonstration of how easily soft power can influence the politics of a weak government, like that of Beirut. Additionally, the United States response is understandable, as Fakhoury was one of their citizens, but their undeniable interference, regardless of its actual impact, will probably harm their public image in Lebanon. Not only is an obvious insult to Lebanese sovereignty, but also generously supported an objectively ruthless individual with a very shady record.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Lebanon: Fakhoury Affair

    I had no idea that this guy came to the United States. Mind boggling that the U.S. gives this guy residency while Afghan interpreters can't get a visa.

    it reminds me a lot of how Republicans like Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio were banging on the war drum to get the U.S. to intervene in Syria, but im not surprised there are ulterior motives there.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Lebanon: Fakhoury Affair

    Quote Originally Posted by Abdülmecid I View Post
    Republican Ted Cruz, who has quite a rocky relationship with Near East Christians
    lmfao. Please stop repeating this meme. A few hecklers booing at an event =/= Middle East Christians.

    Remember that in the Levant, 'Christianity' is more of a tribal affiliation than a genuine saving faith, so it's not unusual to see self-identified Christians holding all kinds of unChristian views. There's surveys showing that most Levantine self-identified Christians hate Jews. Not Israel, mind you; Jews. That's why those Arabs in the audience booed Cruz, not because of Christianity.

    Needless to say, if a self-identified Christian is racist (especially against the ethnicity of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Apostles and the Prophets), it has nothing to do with Christianity. You might as well say that Cruz has a rocky relationship with hummus-eaters.
    Last edited by Prodromos; March 30, 2020 at 04:57 PM.
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  4. #4

    Default Re: Lebanon: Fakhoury Affair

    Remember that in the Levant, 'Christianity' is more of a tribal affiliation than a genuine saving faith, so it's not unusual to see self-identified Christians holding all kinds of unChristian views. There's surveys showing that most Levantine self-identified Christians hate Jews. Not Israel, mind you; Jews. That's why those Arabs in the audience booed Cruz, not because of Christianity.

    Needless to say, if a self-identified Christian is racist (especially against the ethnicity of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Apostles and the Prophets), it has nothing to do with Christianity. You might as well say that Cruz has a rocky relationship with hummus-eaters.
    It seems to be an American thing to use word "racism" whenever possible. I mean pretty much all participants are of same racial background.
    This has little to do with "racism" and is purely a sectarian thing. They don't hate Jews as a race, they hate Israelis (except for a group of Arab Christians that are fanatically pro-Israel, because context) and people who are not of their religion (much like Jews hate Muslims and Christians, and Muslims hate Christians and Jews).
    Also practice of giving refuge and even citizenship to alleged war-criminals isn't really anything new to 'western democracies". UK gave refuge to Chechen terrorists, while our substitute prime minister here in Canada refers to escaping ISIS thugs as "powerful voice of diversity" or something like that.

  5. #5
    B. W.'s Avatar Primicerius
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    Default Re: Lebanon: Fakhoury Affair

    Quote Originally Posted by Abdülmecid I View Post
    To summarise, Amer Fakhoury is a member of the now practically disbanded (currently only serves as an unrecognized party in Israel) South Lebanon Army, a predominantly Christian militia, which served as an Israeli proxy during the country's civil was and the subsequent hostilities. Its rule in southern Lebanon was marked by several abuses and human rights violations, the most notorious of which is the Khiam prison, where inmates were regularly tortured and harmed by their captors. In 2000, following the unilateral withdrawal of the Israeli Army from occupied Lebanon (with the exception of the Shebaa farms), the SLA was smashed by the regular army and Hezbollah, so its members fled abroad, mainly to Israel and secondarily to the United States.



    In what concerns specifically Amer Fakhoury, who worked as a warden in Khiam, he emigrated to United States, having also received the American citizenship, but during last September he returned to his homeland. He was recognized by his victims and promptly detained by the authorities, as he was accused of overseeing the torturing of hundreds of dissidents. Several American politicians, including the Democrat senator of New Hampshire (where Fakhoury lives) and Republican Ted Cruz, who has quite a rocky relationship with Near East Christians, reacted aggressively to the arrest, by sponsoring a bill for the imposition of economic sanctions to Lebanon, unless Fakhoury is released.

    In March, Fakhoury was indeed released and allowed to leave Lebanon, under the justification that the statutory limitations for his crimes had expired. However, many Lebanese disagreed with the judiciary verdict, as they perceived it as a fragile excuse, designed to hide the true reason for Fakhoury's escape, namely the threat posed to bankrupt Lebanon by the measures of Washington (Donald Trump expressed his satisfaction over the news). In my opinion, this incident is a clear demonstration of how easily soft power can influence the politics of a weak government, like that of Beirut. Additionally, the United States response is understandable, as Fakhoury was one of their citizens, but their undeniable interference, regardless of its actual impact, will probably harm their public image in Lebanon. Not only is an obvious insult to Lebanese sovereignty, but also generously supported an objectively ruthless individual with a very shady record.
    That sort of looks like an old Soviet t-62 tank. I realize that imagery is important when trying to shape a narrative, but what exactly does an old Soviet tank have to do with the US influencing the release of a prisoner in Lebanon?

  6. #6

    Default Re: Lebanon: Fakhoury Affair

    Quote Originally Posted by B. W. View Post
    That sort of looks like an old Soviet t-62 tank. I realize that imagery is important when trying to shape a narrative, but what exactly does an old Soviet tank have to do with the US influencing the release of a prisoner in Lebanon?
    It's a Tiran 5 abandoned by the South Lebanon Army, which is an Israeli modified T-55.

    EDIT: Actually it's a Tiran 4 because it still has the original Soviet made gun rather than an American or British made 105 mm.
    Last edited by sumskilz; April 03, 2020 at 12:46 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Enros View Post
    You don't seem to be familiar with how the burden of proof works in when discussing social justice. It's not like science where it lies on the one making the claim. If someone claims to be oppressed, they don't have to prove it.


  7. #7
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    Default Re: Lebanon: Fakhoury Affair

    Quote Originally Posted by sumskilz View Post
    It's a Tiran 5 abandoned by the South Lebanon Army, which is an Israeli modified T-55.

    EDIT: Actually it's a Tiran 4 because it still has the original Soviet made gun rather than an American or British made 105 mm.
    Hmmm, older than I thought. I still don't see what it has to do with the narrative. Maybe it's the picture of the bearded wonder on it.

  8. #8

    Default Re: Lebanon: Fakhoury Affair

    They could've disposed of him and blamed it on Hezbollah (after due agreement behind curtains, of course).


  9. #9

    Default Re: Lebanon: Fakhoury Affair

    Quote Originally Posted by Heathen Hammer View Post
    It seems to be an American thing to use word "racism" whenever possible. I mean pretty much all participants are of same racial background.
    This has little to do with "racism" and is purely a sectarian thing. They don't hate Jews as a race, they hate Israelis (except for a group of Arab Christians that are fanatically pro-Israel, because context) and people who are not of their religion (much like Jews hate Muslims and Christians, and Muslims hate Christians and Jews).
    I don't think it's a matter of generalized hatred toward anyone not of their religion, since the same survey that showed that 98% of Lebanese people have an unfavorable view of Jews, also showed that 88% have a favorable view of Christians, and I assume a similarly high percentage of self-identified Christians would have a favorable view of Muslims. It's clearly just Jews they have a problem with.

    Is it just a religious thing? Well, I would imagine that Jews follow a variety of religions, from atheism to Buddhism, but as far as I know Arabs still hate them all just the same. Even if a Jew converted to Islam or Christianity, but kept his Jewish culture and/or continued to support a Jewish state, most Arabs would probably still hate him.

    I don't believe hating Jews is code for hating Israelis either, since I've never heard of Arab anti-Israeli sentiment extending to the Arab citizens of Israel. From what I can tell, Arab anti-Israeli sentiment is pretty much exclusively aimed at Jewish Israelis.

    So I think Arab/'Christian' anti-Semitism is likely rooted primarily in hatred of ethnic Jews rather than in religious hostility to Judaism or geopolitical rivalry with Israel.
    Last edited by Prodromos; April 06, 2020 at 11:51 PM.
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  10. #10

    Default Re: Lebanon: Fakhoury Affair

    Quote Originally Posted by Prodromos View Post
    I don't think it's a matter of generalized hatred toward anyone not of their religion, since the same survey that showed that 98% of Lebanese people have an unfavorable view of Jews, also showed that 88% have a favorable view of Christians, and I assume a similarly high percentage of self-identified Christians would have a favorable view of Muslims. It's clearly just Jews they have a problem with.

    Is it just a religious thing? Well, I would imagine that Jews follow a variety of religions, from atheism to Buddhism, but as far as I know Arabs still hate them all just the same. Even if a Jew converted to Islam or Christianity, but kept his Jewish culture and/or continued to support a Jewish state, most Arabs would probably still hate him.

    I don't believe hating Jews is code for hating Israelis either, since I've never heard of Arab anti-Israeli sentiment extending to the Arab citizens of Israel. From what I can tell, Arab anti-Israeli sentiment is pretty much exclusively aimed at Jewish Israelis.

    So I think Arab/'Christian' anti-Semitism is likely rooted primarily in hatred of ethnic Jews rather than in religious hostility to Judaism or geopolitical rivalry with Israel.
    "Hi, I'm Johnny Knoxville and I'm pretending to be an atheist Jew in Beirut! "
    But seriously, its mostly an American thing to call everything they don't like or understand as "racism". Sectarian tensions in Middle East? Racism. Dumb American tourist gets his ass kicked for groping local women somewhere in Greece? Racism. A Central European country refusing to accept millions of welfare migrants? Racism. An oil-rich country ditching petrodollar? Crime against humanity!
    In reality, pretty much all of the population of Lebanon is of similar racial background, so trying to present religious tensions as a race thing is simply incorrect. I guess we can write it off to sub-par intellectual level of American legacy media and academia. Of course we can't really expect some dumb coked-out journos from CNN or MSNBC to understand the difference between race and religion. I mean all these people can do is cover celebrity gossip or conveyor-belt stories on ORANGE MAN BAD stuff, which let's be honest, both doesn't require much intellectual capability. With academia its the same thing, as real sciences have long been abandoned in favor of marxist nonsense, cornerstone of which in modern context is whining about imaginary racism everywhere.
    Hence to them tensions between trifecta of wacky Middle Eastern abrahamic cults is racism, while in reality they hate each other not over race (which they are of same), but over which ancient schizo (Abraham, Jesus or Muhammad) was the correct "messenger of god". Its an abrahamic thing.

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