On November 27, 2018, Lebanon's General Security Directorate held a conference titled "The Defeat of Terror in the Region and Its Impact on Africa," attended by members of the Lebanese diaspora and security delegations from Africa.[1] In his address at the conference, Security Directorate head 'Abbas Ibrahim called to distinguish between terror aimed at intimidating and threatening the enemy, "which is a right and a duty," and terror aimed at intimidating innocent people, which is the height of depravity. He clarified that he completely supports "resistance" and terror of the former kind, and sees it as a source of honor rather than shame.
It should be noted that Ibrahim served as the director of military intelligence in South Lebanon and is known to be close to Hizbullah. It should be also be noted that on November 13, 2018, the U.S. State Department designated Jawad Nasrallah, the son of Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, a terrorist and imposed sanctions on other prominent Hizbullah members.[2]
'Abbas Ibrahim (image: almanar.com, November 27, 2018)
The following are excerpts from Ibrahim's address at the conference:
"There is confusion regarding the definition of terror, confusion that is deliberately created throughout the world because it serves the agendas of the superpowers. We will not allow this, although our abilities are modest.
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"There is terror that is intended to frighten your enemy, and it is a right and [even] a duty. [Conversely,] there is terror aimed at frightening innocent people, which is the height of moral and ideological depravity. We support terror of the first [kind] and resistance against every enemy everywhere. It is no shame but rather an honor to which we aspire.
"We support resistance against anyone who tries to invade Lebanon or subjugate its people. You can call it whatever you like – for us it is a source of pride. On the other hand, terrorizing innocent people, harming their rights, [targeting] their children in school or workers in factories and murdering them just in order to kill or because of some ideological or religious disagreement – that, I stress once again, is the height of moral and ideological depravity."[3]
Warning the Africans about the U.S., Ibrahim added: "Dr. Leila Nicolas [a political science lecturer at the University of Beirut] noted that the U.S. state secretary said that 'Africa is the future.' Our brother Africans, I tell you that this statement should worry you. It is a troubling slogan. Who does Africa's future belong to, the Africans, or the usurping [commercial] companies? That is a question that begs an answer, and it is our African brothers who will determine the answer... With all due modesty, and at the behest of some of you, I am willing to place all the resources and knowledge of [Lebanon's] General Security Directorate at the service of any of our colleagues in any African country. I place all the knowledge of the directorate at your disposal, as well as my own personal knowledge, to safeguard your security and stability. This is not an act of charity or a favor on my part. It is a duty. Africa is home to 400,000 Lebanese, and it is our duty as Lebanese, at the very least, to safeguard the stability and security of the countries where they live."[4]
[1] Among other topics, the conference addressed the possibility that the terror organizations would move their activity to Africa following their defeat in the Middle East. Its closing statement called for honoring the rights of nations to self-determination, banning the use of armed force in international conflicts, agreeing on a uniform definition of terror and terror organizations, and addressing the roots of terror. (Al-Akhbar, Lebanon, November 28, 2018).
[2] State.gov, November 13, 2018.
[3] Al-Akhbar (Lebanon), November 28, 2018.
[4] Elnashra.com, November 27, 2018.
