SHIA EXTREMISM IN BEIRUT AND THE BIQA'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP05-01507R000100050076-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 16, 2012
• Sequence Number: 76
• Publication Date: November 18, 1983
• Content Type: CABLE

6J111Z UYU636 N1Y N19 UU)/ GEN.U969 ST 1424 HEADER - REEDAH
DOCTYPR:1 CL/DISS:S-1) CW:
DUI. NO:S'A:F=:RU1 :TEL [phone] ITEM: PAGE:
SOURCE/SERIES:
PUB. DATE:8311' EX CAT:
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP05-01507R000100050076-7
TITLE:>SHIA,'EXTREMISM IN>BEIRUT AND THE>BIQA (S) (>AMAL>LEADERSHIP,>HIZBAL
LfH; IRANIAN/SYRIAN>INFLUENCE) .
83 2687656 SSO
STABEIRUT TEL [phone] TOR: 182229Z NOV 83
ZNY SSSSS ZOC STATE ZZH
UT51113
00 RUEHC
DE RUEHBL #2852/01 3221221
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
0 181215Z NOV 83
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4610
INFO RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 1569
RUEHEG/AMEMSASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 1427
RUEHDM/AY.EMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 2105
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 1700
RUEHJI/AMEMBASSY JIDDA PRIORITY 1506
RUEHRH/USELO RIYADH PRIORITY 1283
RUCKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
BT
EZ1:
S E C R E T BEIRUT 12852
EXDIS
EZ2:
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PINR, PINS. PREL, LE
2. SUM.M'A?Y: IN REIPUT'S SOUTHERN SCRUB P.S, AMA1. IS
NOT SERIOUSLY CHALLEI.GED BY 1HE RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER
OF MILITIAMEN FROM HIZBALLA.9 AND OTHER EXTREME, PRO-
IRANIAN ORGANIZATIONS. AT PRESENT,/NASIH BARRI FACES
GREATER PROBLEMS FROM SOME OF HIS OWN MILITIA COM-
MANDERS WHO ARE NOT FULLY UNDER HIS CONTROL AND SUS-
CEPTIBLE TO BOTH SYRIAN AND IRANIAN INFLUENCE. NON-
A.-!AL RADICALS ARE MOVING 10 EXPAND THEIR INFLUENCE
IN THE SUBURBS, MAINLY THROUGH EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH
THEMSELVES-IN MOSQUES, AND,APPEAR,TO BE WORKING IN
OS5000?DINATION WITH THE IRANIANS. IN(.THE. BIQA',
/ OLD GUARD _RADICALS SUCH AS`-zSUBHI TUFA.YIJ AND HUSAYN
k AL-jj; SArI HAVE BEEN JOINED SY_NEW FIGURES', SUGGESTING
A FURTHER E9.PQ;SION OF IRANIAN/SH;A EXTREMIST IN-
FLCE'NCE. FURTHER, THERE ARE REPORTS THAT THE OVERALL
AMAL MILITARY COMMAINDER. BASED IN THE BIQA', IS NOW
CLOSER TO THESE LEADERS (AND THEIR SPONSORS) THAN TO
BAJ.R I. IN SUM, EXTREMISM IN THE SHIA COMMUNITY IS
INCREASING, A TREND THAT IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE, GIVEN
ACTIVE SYR:AN AND IRANIAN BACKING, THE ABSENCE OF
PRSGP.ESS TOWARD AN INTERNAL POLITICAL SETTLEMENT,
AND ABSENCE OF GOVERNMENT CONTROL IN THE SOUTHERN
SUBURES. END SUMMARY.
3. ON THE BASIS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH SHIA CONTACTS
IN AND OUT OF THE ANAL MOVEMENT. THE LAF, NON-SHIA
POLITICAL FIGURES AND OTHERS FAMILIAR WITH THE SITUA-
T/O;: i.. THE SOUTHERN SUBURBS AND THE BIQA' , IT APPEARS
THAT ANAL IS TV NO DANGER OF LOSING MILITARY CONTROL IN
THE SUBURBS TO NON-A.`fAL RADICALS. HIZBALLAH AND OTHER
EXTF.EMTST GROUPS (INCLUDING THE COMMUNISTS ON THE OTHER
END OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM) DO NOT HAVE LARGE
NUMBERS OF MTLITIAMEN IN BEIRUT AND THOSE WHO ARE
'HERE A'?EAF. TO PRESENT NO THREAT TO AMAL SUPERIORITY.
SOME/OF HIS ONTI COM.J.NDERS.. ESPECIALLY THE FOLLOWING:
7AY.IL HA`i LYA%Ii ANAL MILITIA OFFICIAL RE-_
0NSIBLE FOR'HAY ,.S-SALLUM. HAMIYAII, ALSO KNOWN AS
lq Kf. H Z RECEI/ED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF INTERNATIONAL
HGTCRiETY 7HP.OUGH HIS EXPLOITS AS A SKYJACKER: HE
CIE
J f 1~
.AY .AY HAVE PARTICIPATED IN AS MANY AS SIX. SEPARATE
\.` HIJACK INGS, ALL FROM BEIRUT AIRPORT, THE LAST OF WHICH
WAS IN EARLY 1982. !:OW, WITH HIS BROTHERS ALI AND
MUHA-'i".AD, HAN IYAM COMMANDS A FORCE OF SEVERAL HUNDRED
FULL-TIME MILITIAMEN AND ALTHOUGH HE IS A MEMBER OF
? TY'EA /.L POLITICAL BUREAU. OFTEN OPERATES INDEPENDENTLY
OF EAJR1. HE IS CONSIDERED CLOSER TO SYRIA THAN IRAN,
AND BEFORE THE ISRAELI TNV/.SION WAS WIDELY BELIEVED
TO HAVE CLOSE LINKS WITH SYRIAN INTELLIGENCE. (HIS
HIJACKING EXPLOITS GENERALLY ENDED WITH HIS "SURRENDER"
AT BEIRUT.-AIRPORT, WHERE HE WAS RECEIVED BY THEN CHIEF
OF SYRIA': TN7ELLIGENCE, MUHAMMAD CHANIM, AND IMMEDI-
ATELY
IADNAN NO.L BnWj;. 'MILITIA COMMANDER FOR SFAYR/
BIR AL-ABID. HALBAWI 1S-'KNDNN AS A PRO-SYRIAN 14110 ALSO
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP05-01507R000100050076-7
,3
/
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP05-01507R000100050076-7 GREE
.. ... ........... ..... .,...,. ,, .. ui , a,.. , d,n) . III. I . I"INNS I IILI'LD
I' RltiC IN RI:I:PING ILNSIIIN 1111::1 WITH FINE
ARKi IN HIR A.'.E.. (BETWEEN BURJ AL-BARAJINAH AND GALERIE
SIMAAN.)
MUHAMMAD NASRALLAH (ABU JAFR), NA.SRL'LLAH,
ALSO AN AMAL MEMBER, OPERATES IN THE GHUBAYRI AREA NORTH
OF GALERIE SIMAAN. ALTHOUGH HE IS NOT A SENIOR MILITIA
OFFICIAL, A KNOWLEDGEABLE LAF SOURCE CREDITS HIM WITH
REGULAR SNIPING ON THE ARMY, APPARENTLY IN DIRECT
DEFIANCE OF BARRI'S ORDERS.
4. OUTSIDE OF ANAL, THERE ARE NUMEROUS INDICATIONS
THAT SHIA EXTREMISTS ARE EXPANDING THEIR EFFORTS --
AND INFLUENCE -- IN THE SOUTHERN SUBURBS. THUS FAR,
HOWEVER, THEY ARE USING THE MOSQUES AND HUSAYNIYAHS TO
INCREASE THEIR POWER RATHER THAN MILITIAS. HIZBALLAH/
ANAL OF ISLAM HAVE SOME FIGHTERS IN BEIRUT, BUT THEIR
FORCES ARE LIMITED. THE BEST-KNOWN AND LONGEST ESTAB-
EXDIS
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
/TAGS: PINR, PINS, PREL, LE
'SUBJECT: SHIA EXTREMISM IN BEIRUT AND THE BIQA'
LISUEO OF._ THESE IS'NUIHAMMAD HUSAYN
D C~
\ \ Fy9DLALLAH?..hHE MAIN BEIRUT-BASED RELIGIOUS FIGURE IN---'V
HIZBALLAH. BASED IN BR AL-ARID, FADLALLAH IS ALSO
\ REPORTEDLY THE "SPIRITUAL GUIDE" (MURSHID) FOR THE
EXTREMIST UNION OF ISLAMIC STUDENTS
LEBANESE GOVERN-
.
MENT AUTHORITIES BELIEVED THAT FADL,.L1..H HAD KNOWLEDGE
OF, IF NOT AN ACTIVE ROLE IN, THE DODGE KIDNAPPING.
MORE RFCENTLY, OTHER EXTREMIST SHAYKHS HAVE ESTABLISHED
THEMSELVES IN MOSQUES IN SOUTH BEIRUT WHERE THE FRIDAY
SERMON PROVIDES THEM A FORUM FOR INCREASING POPULAR
SUPPORT. NOT ALL ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HIZRALLAH, BUT
REPORTEDLY HAVE IN COMMON AN ASSOCIATION WITH THE
,;IRANIAN EMBASSY IN BEIRUT AS A SOURCE OF FUNDING AND
DIRECTT95. THEY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
RAMA2?_),(I1NJI(BURJ AL-BARAJINAH MOSQUE ON
THE AIRPORT ROAD).
.
-- ( AYMAN _HAMDARi 4 (GHURAYRI)i?' HAHDAR WAS
BRIEFLY ARRESTED'BY TH9 LAr FOR SUSPECTED INVOLVE-
MENT IN TERRORIST ACTIVITIES. BUT WAS RELEASED
FOLLOWING PRESSURE FROM OTHER SHIA CLERICS, INCLUDING
SHAMS-A~-DIN'S SHIA I;I,GIIER ISLAMIC COUNCIL.
-- (HUSAYN MUKDAD Y'UZAI MOSQUE). _
-- , 1IASSAN'i{ALIF.' (BURJ AL-BARAJINAH).l`
MAINTAINS CLOSE LINKS WITH BRITAL-BASED HIZBALLAH
LEADER
SUBHI TUFAYLI IN THE BIQA'
.
,S
-- f NA'IM QASI1I. ,LIKE FADLALLAH, QASIM WAS
ALSO BELIEVED?YO1HAV'E HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THE DODGE
? KIDNAPPING. HE IS A LEADER OF THE DAWA PARTY IN BEIRUT,
ACTIVE IN THE UNION OF ISLAMIC STUDENTS, AND RECENTLY
PROCLAIMED HIMSELF A SHAYKH. .
5. VICE PRESIDENT OF THE SHIA HIGHER ISLAMIC COUNCIL
_
(MUHAMMAD HAHDI SHAMS'-AD-DINALTI;3UGM A MOD=-RA-E, AT 1) r: r= L
LE
AST BY THE STANDAPDS`OF 7HE SOUTHERN SUBU
..RBS, MAIN-
TAINS LINKS WITH MANY OF~HE r ADICAL SHAYKHS IN A
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP05-01507R000100050076-7
t'r LI , i'I. UVLH Ilit.:R 6l I IONS. SII:IMS-AP-0 IN If IMSCLF
H Al, IP All 1 Al. C4:.,.LC T. .- II:C'.C:,. ;IG A LONG AT Y.'.: /:I ION.
WITH .HE DAWA ?ARTY AND RESIDENCE IN IRAN. SHAMS-AD-DIN
CURRENTLY APPEARS TO BE WALKING-A FINE LINE IN TRYING
TO FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN PRESSURES FROM THE IRANIANS
FOR A MORE RADICAL STANCE AND GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE
LEBANESE GOVER.NME::T. SHIA MUFTI'ABDUL AMIR.OASALAN,,
BY CONTRAST, HAS AVOIDED AN IRANIAN CONNECTION AND
THEREFORE HAS GREATER FREEDOM OF MANEUVER. OF ALL
SHIA RELIGIOUS LEADERS. HE IS REGARDED BY THE LEBANESE
GOVERNMENT WITH THE GREATEST FAVOR. (COMMENT: ALI
S:lA'IR'S COMMENT TO CHARGE' SUDDARTH THAT QABALAII IS
? "DIRECTLY UNDER. IRANIAN CONTROL" (RIYADH 3575) DOES
NOT REPEAT NOT TRACK WITH OUR. UNDERSTANDING.)
6. MOVING FROM BEIRUT TO THE BIQA', IT APPEARS CLEAR
THAT IRANIAN-BACKED RADICAL SHIA INFLUENCE IS
EXPANDING. IN ADDITION TO HIZBALLAH LEADERS ON WHOM ,..
WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, SUCH AS SUBHI TUFAYLI.'AND
fHUHAMNAD YAZBAY.;'OTHERS ARE ALSO GAIN1'NG PROMINENCE.
I-ESPECIALLY 11, 'LABAKK: TWO NAMES WE HAVE HEARD
RECENTLY ARE RBRAHIM 4LAM/N)%.ND'HUSAYN QUBAYST-.( IN
THE BIQA' THE IRA.':IA,N ROLE IS OVERT, AND ,NN'ADDITION
TO IRANIAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS, IRANIAN
RELIGIOUS FIGURES ARE ALSO ACTIVE WITH THEIR LEBANESE
7. THE P.AN:KING MEMBER OF ANAL IN THE BIQA' IS MILITARY
CO:1..ANDE?JZA',AP.IYA, H~AMZA' (AEU YAHYA). ALTHOUGH HE
NOMINALLY REPORTS DIItEGTL'Y TO BARRI,HAHZA IS CONSIDERED
TO BE FALLING INCREASINGLY UNDER IRANIAN, AND SYRIAN,
INFLUENCE. ONE SOURCE HAS TOLD US THAT BARRI HAS
REFRAINED FRG!; EXPELLING HIM FROM THE MOVEMENT ONLY
BECAUSE OF CONCERN THAT HE WQULD THEN LINK FORCES WITH
AMAL'OF ISLAM LEADER HUSAYN MUSAWI AND HIZBALLAH,
TAXING SOME OF THE ANAL MEMBERSHIP IN THE BIQA' WITH
EXDIS
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PINK, PINS, PREL, LE
SUBJECT: SHIA EXTREMISM IN BEIRUT AND THE BIQA'
HIM. BART HAS BEEN CAREFUL TO ENSURE, HOWEVER, THAT
HA17A STAYS OUT OF BEIRUT.
8. COMMENT: THE PICTURE WE. SEE. EMERGING IS ONE OF
INCREASING SHIA LXTREM:SM., BACKED BY ROTH IRAN AND
SYRIA. THIS RADICAL MOVEMENT HAS NOT YET PRODUCED
k -SIGNIFICANT MILITIA FORCE. PARTICULARLY IN THE
BEIRUT AREA. BUT THE FACT THAT PRO-IRANIANS APPEAR
TO CONTROL A NUMBER OF KEY MOSQUES MAKES IT LIKELY THAT
THEIR INFLUENCE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND. AT THE SAME
TIME, THE INABILITY OF THE LAF TO CLOSE THE INFILTRA-
TION ROUTE FROM SHUWAYFAT INTO THE SUBURBS PROVIDES
A MEANS FOR INTRODUCING POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS
AGITATORS AS WELL AS ARMS AND MILITIAMEN. THE CON-
TINUING ABSENCE OF AJ:Y GOVERNMENT CONTROL IN THE SUBURBS
WILL, A..3O FOSTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXTREMISM, BOTH
HOMEGROWN AND SYRIAN- AND IRANIAN-INSTIGATED.
BARTHOLOMEW