07-19-2019, 09:48 AM
** 19-Jul-2019 World View: Argentina freezes Hezbollah's assets
We usually hear about Hezbollah in the context of the Middle East.
Hezbollah is a Lebanon-based terror group and militia, funded by its
puppetmaster Iran. Hezbollah has been fighting alongside Iranian
troops in Syria, and is committed to war with Israel. So it's a
little bit of a surprise when Hezbollah makes news outside of the
Mideast.
On Thursday, Hezbollah was designated as a terrorist organization by
the government of the South American country Argentina, which froze
all of Hezbollah's assets in the country. There are few Hezbollah
assets in Argentina, but this freeze of assets adds to Hezbollah's
dwindling cash flow, as Iran has been cutting back Hezbollah funding
because of the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and the
resumption of sanctions.
Hezbollah is also designated as a terrorist organization by the US,
UK, Israel and several Gulf Arab states, but Argentina is the first
country in Latin America to do so.
"At present, Hezbollah continues to represent a current threat to
security and the integrity of the economic and financial order of the
Argentine Republic," Argentina's Financial Information Unit said on
Thursday. Argentine officials say Hezbollah is engaged in illegal
activities between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay to finance its
operations elsewhere.
Thursday was the 25th anniversary of the terrorist bombing, blamed on
Hezbollah, of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA,
Argentinian Israeli Mutual Association) Jewish community center in
Buenos Aires. A truck loaded with explosives was driven into the AMIA
center in a densely populated central area of Buenos Aires, also
leaving 300 people wounded. Argentina has the largest Jewish
community in Latin America, 300,000 people.
Two years before the AMIA bombing, Israel's Buenos Aires Embassy was
hit by a suicide bomber driving a truck, killing 29 people and
wounding 200.
---- Sources:
-- Victims of 1994 AMIA bombing still waiting for justice, 25 years on
https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentin...s-on.phtml
(Buenos Aires Times, 18-Jul-2019)
-- Argentina brands Hezbollah terrorist organization, freezes assets
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-argen...SKCN1UD1XE
(Reuters, 18-Jul-2019)
-- Argentina designates Hezbollah as terrorist organisation
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49030561
(BBC, 18-Jul-2019)
-- History of Hezbollah / Profile: Lebanon's Hezbollah movement
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-10814698
(BBC, 15-Mar-2016)
We usually hear about Hezbollah in the context of the Middle East.
Hezbollah is a Lebanon-based terror group and militia, funded by its
puppetmaster Iran. Hezbollah has been fighting alongside Iranian
troops in Syria, and is committed to war with Israel. So it's a
little bit of a surprise when Hezbollah makes news outside of the
Mideast.
On Thursday, Hezbollah was designated as a terrorist organization by
the government of the South American country Argentina, which froze
all of Hezbollah's assets in the country. There are few Hezbollah
assets in Argentina, but this freeze of assets adds to Hezbollah's
dwindling cash flow, as Iran has been cutting back Hezbollah funding
because of the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and the
resumption of sanctions.
Hezbollah is also designated as a terrorist organization by the US,
UK, Israel and several Gulf Arab states, but Argentina is the first
country in Latin America to do so.
"At present, Hezbollah continues to represent a current threat to
security and the integrity of the economic and financial order of the
Argentine Republic," Argentina's Financial Information Unit said on
Thursday. Argentine officials say Hezbollah is engaged in illegal
activities between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay to finance its
operations elsewhere.
Thursday was the 25th anniversary of the terrorist bombing, blamed on
Hezbollah, of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA,
Argentinian Israeli Mutual Association) Jewish community center in
Buenos Aires. A truck loaded with explosives was driven into the AMIA
center in a densely populated central area of Buenos Aires, also
leaving 300 people wounded. Argentina has the largest Jewish
community in Latin America, 300,000 people.
Two years before the AMIA bombing, Israel's Buenos Aires Embassy was
hit by a suicide bomber driving a truck, killing 29 people and
wounding 200.
---- Sources:
-- Victims of 1994 AMIA bombing still waiting for justice, 25 years on
https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentin...s-on.phtml
(Buenos Aires Times, 18-Jul-2019)
-- Argentina brands Hezbollah terrorist organization, freezes assets
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-argen...SKCN1UD1XE
(Reuters, 18-Jul-2019)
-- Argentina designates Hezbollah as terrorist organisation
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49030561
(BBC, 18-Jul-2019)
-- History of Hezbollah / Profile: Lebanon's Hezbollah movement
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-10814698
(BBC, 15-Mar-2016)
