And Bush is sending a quarter of a billion of taxpayer dollars to Hizballah. Bruce http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/23/world/middleeast/23lebanon.html?ex=1156996 800 <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/23/world/middleeast/23lebanon.html?ex=115699 6800&en=4496015ba7d1f0cd&ei=5070&emc=eta1> &en=4496015ba7d1f0cd&ei=5070&emc=eta1 August 23, 2006
Relief Agencies Find Hezbollah Hard to Avoid By ROBERT F. WORTH <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/w/robert_f_worth /index.html?inline=nyt-per> and HASSAN M. FATTAH <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/f/hassan_m_fatta h/index.html?inline=nyt-per> KHIAM, Lebanon <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/le banon/index.html?inline=nyt-geo> , Aug. 22 - When Mercy Corps and other Western aid agencies reached this devastated village on the front line of the battle between Israel and Hezbollah <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/h/hezboll ah/index.html?inline=nyt-org> with food and medicine, they quickly discovered they had a big problem: the United States <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/un itedstates/index.html?inline=nyt-geo> . Like all other international relief agencies here that receive financing from the American government, Mercy Corps is barred from giving out money or aid through Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group that is considered a terrorist organization by the United States. But as with all the most demolished areas in southern Lebanon, where whole villages have been flattened by Israeli bombs and there is no food, water or electricity, this village is the domain of Hezbollah - and little seems to bypass the group. That fact is nettlesome for the United States, not merely because it does not want Hezbollah to be strengthened even further after its war with Israel, but because it is eager to find and support a viable alternative to the militant group. That will not be easy. Hezbollah has been the fastest and, without a doubt, most effective organization doling out aid to the shattered towns and villages of southern Lebanon. Aid groups like Mercy Corps - which generally work through local intermediaries - have sometimes struggled to find other ways of helping, and even then, they cannot be sure their aid is not going through Hezbollah. "You can make a separation between what we do and Hezbollah," said Khiam's deputy mayor, Muhammed Abdullah, 45, who is organizing the local efforts, including donations of food and water from Mercy. "But of course there is coordination." On Mr. Abdullah's desk is a paperweight with the logo of "Construction Jihad," Hezbollah's building company, and in his anteroom are two posters of Sheik Hassan <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/n/hassan_nasrall ah/index.html?inline=nyt-per> Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader. Some villagers here say Hezbollah's involvement is even less subtle. " <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/u/united_ nations_childrens_fund/index.html?inline=nyt-org> Unicef has been here, and Mercy Corps and other groups," said Ahmad Zogby, 39, whose house was destroyed, along with that of his parents. "But everything coming in, Hezbollah puts an eye on it, makes sure it is all given out in the proper way. It is all in the hands of Hezbollah." Though Hezbollah is only one of many groups providing social services in Lebanon, its reputation for delivering those services honestly is unmatched, making it that much harder to circumvent. In nearby Nabatiye, for instance, Mercy Corps has begun working through the Jabbar Foundation, a nonprofit group run by Yaseen Jabbar, a wealthy member of Parliament. But the mayor of Nabatiye, Mustapha Badreddine, 55, says he considers the foundation ineffective. For his own part, Mr. Badreddine says he does not belong to Hezbollah, but that he works with it because it is trustworthy, far more so than any other group in the area. "You can't say this money or aid is going to Hezbollah or not going to Hezbollah," he said. "It is a matter of normal human contact." David Holdridge, Mercy Corps's emergency coordinator for Lebanon, said he believed that the Jabbar Foundation has done excellent work, and noted that it has received money from Unicef, the State Department and other groups. Mr. Holdridge also said the power of Hezbollah in Lebanese communities puts outside aid groups in a difficult position. The American government has not yet clarified its rules on giving aid and money in Lebanon, though more guidance is expected soon, he said. At a briefing on Tuesday, William J. Garvelink, an official at the United States Agency for International Development, said the agency was waiting on proposals from aid groups involved in the area. He did not directly address the issue of conflicts in distributing aid. For now, aid groups are forced to make difficult choices about how to work here, and with whom. "We clearly cannot and would not have any contact with Hezbollah's military wing, or its social services arm," Mr. Holdridge said. "But can we work with people elected under its political banner? That is a gray area." Other international nonprofit groups receiving American government money are in a similar situation. "I think there are enough organizations and enough need here that it shouldn't be a problem," said Dr. Jeffrey Goodman, a medical adviser to the International Medical Corps, which gets some financing from A.I.D. "But there's no question it's a tricky situation." Aid groups have faced similar issues before - most notably in Gaza, where they are still awaiting a full definition of what "no contact" with terrorist organizations means, Mr. Holdridge said. The issue also arose in Darfur, where the Sudanese government is accused of helping to carry out the mass killings and displacement of civilians. As an example of Hezbollah's hold on everyday life in southern Lebanon, Ali Bazzi, the mayor of Bint Jbail, outlined his big dreams for his half-demolished town as workmen raced past and tractors rumbled. "We are going to turn this city into a model city," Mr. Bazzi said, his arm clutching a trademark Hezbollah two-way radio. "There will be streets organized in grids, parks in every neighborhood and apartment blocks." Bint Jbail, the main Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, saw some of the worst bombing and fighting during the monthlong war, in which Hezbollah, which is integrated with the general population, was Israel's target. But Mr. Bazzi intends to complete the reconstruction without using a single cent from the Lebanese government, much less the United States or the West. Instead, Mr. Bazzi is counting on Construction Jihad. Just a day after the fighting stopped, Construction Jihad enlisted the volunteer services of 1,700 engineers, electricians, plumbers, architects and geologists who have cleared streets, dug ditches and built temporary bridges. While the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has just begun organizing committees to study the reconstruction of the country, Construction Jihad has all but completed surveys of southern Lebanese towns. "We were victorious over Israel," said Mr. Bazzi. "Now we have to rise to the occasion that follows." Teams of volunteers wearing Construction Jihad baseball caps have crisscrossed Bint Jbail and other southern cities. On Monday, the organization began signing up families for grants of between $10,000 and $15,000 to help cover rent and furnishings until new homes are built, and began helping small businesses reopen. They have worked to help restore electricity in many towns and to get water flowing again. "We consider this work to be like prayer and fasting," said Fouad Noureldine, director of projects in southern Lebanon for Construction Jihad. Some of the organization's volunteers in Bint Jbail said Construction Jihad was in control of billions of dollars for the reconstruction, but Mr. Noureldine would not give a figure. He did say that much of the organization's money has come from wealthy Lebanese donors in Africa, Latin America and the United States, though Iran is widely believed to have contributed a significant amount. "We will not wait for the government to do anything down here; we will do it all ourselves while they are still just talking," Mr. Noureldine said. "In fact, we're happy the government is late to do anything. They are trying to divide the resistance and the people. The longer they wait to deliver any services, the more they will fail." Mr. Noureldine also dismissed the Bush administration's pledge of $230 million in reconstruction aid. "If they were to give us all the money in the world, we would not take it," Mr. Noureldine said. "They will not be able to buy our hearts. We are receiving billions now through our traditional channels. We don't need American money." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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