Most of them are Shi'ite Muslims, many of whom hold dual U.S. and Lebanese citizenship. Many are anchor babies born here to Muslims in the U.S. illegally. Some are illegal aliens who became citizens through rubber-stamping Citizenship and Immigration Services (and its INS predecessor) coupled with political pressure by spineless politicians.
Of the 25,000 American citizens and green-card holders in Lebanon, at least 7,000 are from Dearborn, Michigan, the heart of Islamic America, and especially Shia Islam America. These 7,000 are mostly Shi'ite Muslims who openly and strongly support Hezbollah. Ditto for many of the rest of the 25,000 that are there.
Many of the 7,000 plus Detroiters in Lebanon are active in Dearborn's Bint Jbeil cultural center (the Lebanese American Heritage Club also features mostly Hezbollah fans). Bint Jbeil is a Hezbollah-dominated city in the South of Lebanon, a frequent destination of Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, who is very at home there. Bint Jbeil is a frequent source of shellings on Northern Israel.
Bint Jbeil natives now living in our country so strongly support Hezbollah that they got Republican Congressman Joe Knollenberg (and his then top staffer, Paul Welday) and then-U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham to give Hezbollah forces in Southern Lebanon about $86 million of our tax money, no strings.
Given this information, and the fact--as I've detailed numerous times on this site--that several Shi'ite Muslim Lebanese U.S. citizens from Dearborn have been indicted and/or convicted of laundering money to Hezbollah, is it a good idea to rush to bring 25,000 such persons back to the U.S. at a time when Hezbollah is at war against the strongest U.S. ally? Does the fact, that Hezbollah numerous times--and especially now--has announced veiled and not-so-veiled intentions to attack Americans on U.S. soil, necessitate urgently bringing these terror-sympathizing Americans back to U.S. soil? Many are individuals whose activity should have mandated prosecution and jail-time. But they are free because of a spineless U.S. Attorney (and, incredibly, Bush Federal Court of Appeals nominee), Stephen Murphy III a/k/a "Abu Porno," and equally weak federal law enforcement chiefs of Michigan FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who pander to them.
These are people who hold U.S. citizenship but support a group that murdered over 300 U.S. Marines and civilians, some through torture; a group that is part of the Al-Qaeda network; a group that trains insurgent terrorists against our troops in Iraq, giving them IEDs to blow our soldiers up; a group that worked with Qaeda to bomb the Khobar Towers. Americans who support this group are not American. They merely possess the proper paperwork.
And they are very dangerous. One of them, Lola Elzein--a student at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and an officer of the Hezbollah-supporting Arab American PAC--threatened my life and that of my family members because I've written about the group's Detroit-area extremist Hezbollah sympathizers. Hezbollah's violence has already arrived in America, and we don't need to pay to transport 25,000 of its sympathizers back to our shores from their chosen vacation destination.
While the government has announced it will charge these individuals for the expensive transport out of Lebanon via Cyprus back to the U.S., the feds say they will accept IOUs for that transport. Think we'll get the money back? Just ask the Katrina aid administrators.
**** UPDATE, 11:08 p.m.: Even more outrageous, our government has now relented and will not charge these people for exorbitant, tax-paid transport back to the U.S. $3,000 per person on the U.S. taxpayer dime. This is ABSURD! And unprecedented (in other airlifts/evacuations, Americans must pay). Who told them to visit Lebanon? Not us (State Dept. warned against travel to Lebanon). Just Sheikh Nasrallah. Let him and his Iranian/Syrian patrons pay. ****
Do you want your tax dollars to subsidize Hezbollah supporters' return to America? Are these the kind of U.S. citizens we badly need back in our country at this time?
Should Hezbollah supporters be transported on a ship named for one of the most heroic events in U.S. history, the U.S.S Iwo Jima? Should U.S. tax dollars fund the charter of commercial ships to transport the rest of these terror-sympathizers?
The instant answer from all freedom-loving Americans to these questions should be a loud "NO."
These people went to Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon of their own accord. And they were safe there because they support the terrorist group. Now, their fortune has changed. Tough.
It is not the responsibility of U.S. taxpayers to rescue terrorist-supporters who voluntarily went to a dangerous area . . . just because their whines are loud and annoying.
We are picking up the tab for this unfortunate rescue. U.S. funds used to rescue terrorist-sympathizers--YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK.
So, is America too slow to get these undesirable U.S. citizens out of Lebanon? On the contrary, not slow enough.
**** UPDATE: Brave, gracious, and beautiful Lebanese woman, Brigitte Gabriel, agrees with my assessment and gives a fantastic one of her own (also posted at IsraPundit). A MUST READ! Visit Brigitte Gabriel's site, too. ****
Posted by Debbie at July 18, 2006 12:31 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1140
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Most Americans in Lebanon Are Hezbollah Supporters; U.S. Taxes Shouldn't Fund Their Return:
» Talk About Hitting a Nail on the Head from ChicagoRay
Thats exactly what Right Talker and Blogger Debbie Schlussel did yesterday when she penned the story below about the folks that are stuck over in camel country by their own volition mind you that are moaning and groaning that ... [Read More]
Tracked on July 19, 2006 08:34 AM
Comments
Hezzbollah supporters? Leave em
Posted by: KOAJaps at July 18, 2006 02:53 PM
What sources are you using for this information? Specifically this quote from your article:
"Of the 25,000 American citizens and green-card holders in Lebanon, at least 7,000 are from Dearborn, Michigan, the heart of Islamic America, and especially Shia Islam. These 7,000 are mostly Shi'ite Muslims who openly and strongly support Hezbollah. Ditto for many of the rest of the 25,000 that are there."
THIS IS MY AREA OF EXPERTISE. I KNOW THE DETROIT-AREA ISLAMIC COMMUNITY WELL. IT IS ACTUALLY, LIKELY, MORE THAN 7,000. SEE MY OTHER COMMENTS TO FREEDOM3000.
DEBBIE SCHLUSSEL
Posted by: rob rose at July 18, 2006 02:59 PM
Dear Debbie,
Your comments about the 25K are wrong. Assuming that what you say about the 7,000 is true (I believe you're credible based on your history), your "ditto for the rest of the 25K" comment is flat out wrong. Remember that the non-Hezbollah Lebanese resent Hezbollah as they appear to have more loyalty to Iran and Syria than to their own country. Most of the rest of the 25K are probably Christians like myself (the Sunnis don't like Hezbollah either). We probably more than any other group of people, we understand the importance of the war on terror, and most of us love the US more than the average American born citizen. After all, we don't take the many blessings we find in this country for granted, and would make any sacrifice to preserve the United States. After all, we have nowhere else to go. We have seen what the hatred espoused by Hezbollah has done to our country. We are under no illusion, unlike the liberals, about what's at stake here. Given that there has been peace in Lebanon for over a decade, the people who are stuck there had no idea the region was suddenly going to explode. Telling them to reimburse the State Dept for their evacuation is a slap in our faces, as we feel we're being treated as second class citizens. If you want people to resent their own country, that's a good way to do it. Coming from Lebanon, let me tell you that a divided country is not a pretty sight.
ALTHOUGH I HAVE TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR MARONITE CHRISTIANS, MOST LEBANESE WHO GO BACK THERE ARE NOT CHRISTIAN. SOME ARE, BUT NOT MOST. AND THE AOUN MARONITES (SUPPORTERS OF MICHEL AOUN) ARE ALLIED WITH HEZBOLLAH AND DO SUPPORT IT (THE CHRISTIANS, MARONITE OR NOT, ARE NOT MONOLITHIC). THE 7,000 PLUS FROM DEARBORN ARE SHIA AND OPENLY SUPPORT HEZBOLLAH. IT IS A DANGEROUS AREA, AND THE STATE DEPT. HAS PUT OUT WARNINGS ABOUT TRAVEL THERE FOR SOME TIME. TRAVEL THERE AT YOUR OWN RISK. ALSO PLEASE READ CAREFULLY--I SAID "MANY" OF THE 25,000, NOT "ALL."
DEBBIE SCHLUSSEL
Posted by: Freedom3000 at July 18, 2006 02:59 PM
Freedom3000: Your story and self-proclaimed patriotism isn't all that convincing. What were you doing there if you love the US so much? Did someone hold a gun at your head and force you to stay in Lebanon? You went there out of your own will, so you pay for the ticket back home, if you really consider the US your 'home'. Thats the least you can do.
Posted by: anonymous twit at July 18, 2006 03:48 PM
Your headline say's it all Debbie,your headline says it all
Posted by: danny at July 18, 2006 04:22 PM
Of the 25,000 American citizens and green-card holders in Lebanon, at least 7,000 are from Dearborn, Michigan, the heart of Islamic America, and especially Shia Islam America. These 7,000 are mostly Shi'ite Muslims who openly and strongly support Hezbollah. Ditto for many of the rest of the 25,000 that are there.
Many of the 7,000 plus Detroiters in Lebanon are active in Dearborn's Bint Jbeil cultural center (the Lebanese American Heritage Club also features mostly Hezbollah fans). Bint Jbeil is a Hezbollah-dominated city in the South of Lebanon, a frequent destination of Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, who is very at home there. Bint Jbeil is a frequent source of shellings on Northern Israel.
Bint Jbeil natives now living in our country so strongly support Hezbollah that they got Republican Congressman Joe Knollenberg (and his then top staffer, Paul Welday) and then-U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham to give Hezbollah forces in Southern Lebanon about $86 million of our tax money, no strings.
Given this information, and the fact--as I've detailed numerous times on this site--that several Shi'ite Muslim Lebanese U.S. citizens from Dearborn have been indicted and/or convicted of laundering money to Hezbollah, is it a good idea to rush to bring 25,000 such persons back to the U.S. at a time when Hezbollah is at war against the strongest U.S. ally? Does the fact, that Hezbollah numerous times--and especially now--has announced veiled and not-so-veiled intentions to attack Americans on U.S. soil, necessitate urgently bringing these terror-sympathizing Americans back to U.S. soil? Many are individuals whose activity should have mandated prosecution and jail-time. But they are free because of a spineless U.S. Attorney (and, incredibly, Bush Federal Court of Appeals nominee), Stephen Murphy III a/k/a "Abu Porno," and equally weak federal law enforcement chiefs of Michigan FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who pander to them.
These are people who hold U.S. citizenship but support a group that murdered over 300 U.S. Marines and civilians, some through torture; a group that is part of the Al-Qaeda network; a group that trains insurgent terrorists against our troops in Iraq, giving them IEDs to blow our soldiers up; a group that worked with Qaeda to bomb the Khobar Towers. Americans who support this group are not American. They merely possess the proper paperwork.
And they are very dangerous. One of them, Lola Elzein--a student at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and an officer of the Hezbollah-supporting Arab American PAC--threatened my life and that of my family members because I've written about the group's Detroit-area extremist Hezbollah sympathizers. Hezbollah's violence has already arrived in America, and we don't need to pay to transport 25,000 of its sympathizers back to our shores from their chosen vacation destination.
While the government has announced it will charge these individuals for the expensive transport out of Lebanon via Cyprus back to the U.S., the feds say they will accept IOUs for that transport. Think we'll get the money back? Just ask the Katrina aid administrators.
**** UPDATE, 11:08 p.m.: Even more outrageous, our government has now relented and will not charge these people for exorbitant, tax-paid transport back to the U.S. $3,000 per person on the U.S. taxpayer dime. This is ABSURD! And unprecedented (in other airlifts/evacuations, Americans must pay). Who told them to visit Lebanon? Not us (State Dept. warned against travel to Lebanon). Just Sheikh Nasrallah. Let him and his Iranian/Syrian patrons pay. ****
Do you want your tax dollars to subsidize Hezbollah supporters' return to America? Are these the kind of U.S. citizens we badly need back in our country at this time?
Should Hezbollah supporters be transported on a ship named for one of the most heroic events in U.S. history, the U.S.S Iwo Jima? Should U.S. tax dollars fund the charter of commercial ships to transport the rest of these terror-sympathizers?
The instant answer from all freedom-loving Americans to these questions should be a loud "NO."
These people went to Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon of their own accord. And they were safe there because they support the terrorist group. Now, their fortune has changed. Tough.
It is not the responsibility of U.S. taxpayers to rescue terrorist-supporters who voluntarily went to a dangerous area . . . just because their whines are loud and annoying.
We are picking up the tab for this unfortunate rescue. U.S. funds used to rescue terrorist-sympathizers--YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK.
So, is America too slow to get these undesirable U.S. citizens out of Lebanon? On the contrary, not slow enough.
**** UPDATE: Brave, gracious, and beautiful Lebanese woman, Brigitte Gabriel, agrees with my assessment and gives a fantastic one of her own (also posted at IsraPundit). A MUST READ! Visit Brigitte Gabriel's site, too. ****
Posted by Debbie at July 18, 2006 12:31 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1140
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Most Americans in Lebanon Are Hezbollah Supporters; U.S. Taxes Shouldn't Fund Their Return:
» Talk About Hitting a Nail on the Head from ChicagoRay
Thats exactly what Right Talker and Blogger Debbie Schlussel did yesterday when she penned the story below about the folks that are stuck over in camel country by their own volition mind you that are moaning and groaning that ... [Read More]
Tracked on July 19, 2006 08:34 AM
Comments
Hezzbollah supporters? Leave em
Posted by: KOAJaps at July 18, 2006 02:53 PM
What sources are you using for this information? Specifically this quote from your article:
"Of the 25,000 American citizens and green-card holders in Lebanon, at least 7,000 are from Dearborn, Michigan, the heart of Islamic America, and especially Shia Islam. These 7,000 are mostly Shi'ite Muslims who openly and strongly support Hezbollah. Ditto for many of the rest of the 25,000 that are there."
THIS IS MY AREA OF EXPERTISE. I KNOW THE DETROIT-AREA ISLAMIC COMMUNITY WELL. IT IS ACTUALLY, LIKELY, MORE THAN 7,000. SEE MY OTHER COMMENTS TO FREEDOM3000.
DEBBIE SCHLUSSEL
Posted by: rob rose at July 18, 2006 02:59 PM
Dear Debbie,
Your comments about the 25K are wrong. Assuming that what you say about the 7,000 is true (I believe you're credible based on your history), your "ditto for the rest of the 25K" comment is flat out wrong. Remember that the non-Hezbollah Lebanese resent Hezbollah as they appear to have more loyalty to Iran and Syria than to their own country. Most of the rest of the 25K are probably Christians like myself (the Sunnis don't like Hezbollah either). We probably more than any other group of people, we understand the importance of the war on terror, and most of us love the US more than the average American born citizen. After all, we don't take the many blessings we find in this country for granted, and would make any sacrifice to preserve the United States. After all, we have nowhere else to go. We have seen what the hatred espoused by Hezbollah has done to our country. We are under no illusion, unlike the liberals, about what's at stake here. Given that there has been peace in Lebanon for over a decade, the people who are stuck there had no idea the region was suddenly going to explode. Telling them to reimburse the State Dept for their evacuation is a slap in our faces, as we feel we're being treated as second class citizens. If you want people to resent their own country, that's a good way to do it. Coming from Lebanon, let me tell you that a divided country is not a pretty sight.
ALTHOUGH I HAVE TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR MARONITE CHRISTIANS, MOST LEBANESE WHO GO BACK THERE ARE NOT CHRISTIAN. SOME ARE, BUT NOT MOST. AND THE AOUN MARONITES (SUPPORTERS OF MICHEL AOUN) ARE ALLIED WITH HEZBOLLAH AND DO SUPPORT IT (THE CHRISTIANS, MARONITE OR NOT, ARE NOT MONOLITHIC). THE 7,000 PLUS FROM DEARBORN ARE SHIA AND OPENLY SUPPORT HEZBOLLAH. IT IS A DANGEROUS AREA, AND THE STATE DEPT. HAS PUT OUT WARNINGS ABOUT TRAVEL THERE FOR SOME TIME. TRAVEL THERE AT YOUR OWN RISK. ALSO PLEASE READ CAREFULLY--I SAID "MANY" OF THE 25,000, NOT "ALL."
DEBBIE SCHLUSSEL
Posted by: Freedom3000 at July 18, 2006 02:59 PM
Freedom3000: Your story and self-proclaimed patriotism isn't all that convincing. What were you doing there if you love the US so much? Did someone hold a gun at your head and force you to stay in Lebanon? You went there out of your own will, so you pay for the ticket back home, if you really consider the US your 'home'. Thats the least you can do.
Posted by: anonymous twit at July 18, 2006 03:48 PM
Your headline say's it all Debbie,your headline says it all
Posted by: danny at July 18, 2006 04:22 PM