Abbas Ibrahim head of Lebanon General Security
by Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English — The head of Lebanon’s General Security may have landed himself and his country in hot water after intervening in a US lawsuit that initially accused Iran of ordering the detainment and detention of a Lebanese-American citizen. The family of Amer Fakhoury, who had worked with an Israeli-backed militia in southern Lebanon until 2000, is now suing Lebanon, the General Security and its chief, Abbas Ibrahim, who is known for negotiating prisoner swaps and freeing captives, including US citizens. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Fakhoury worked as a senior warden at the notorious Khiam Prison in south Lebanon, run by the Israeli-backed South Lebanon Army (SLA), before Israel ended its 18-year occupation in 2000. His family says he worked at the prison but never had contact with inmates and did not torture prisoners. Despite being accused by Lebanese officials of torturing prisoners during his time with the SLA, Fakhoury’s lawyer said he was given assurances that he could enter Lebanon after nearly 20 years. He reportedly met with Lebanon’s president, Michel Aoun, during a visit to Boston before traveling to Lebanon. According to a lawsuit by the family, Fakhoury was also in contact with a member of Aoun’s presidential office.
He was detained in Beirut in September 2019 and released the following March. But a travel ban was placed on him after a military judge appealed the decision. Nevertheless, he was flown out of the country following a movie-like operation from the US Embassy in Beirut. Fakhoury died just months after returning to the US. His family has accused Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah of being part of Tehran’s order to detain and torture Fakhoury. “The Iranians were hoping to pressure the Trump Administration to trade the captive American for a Hezbollah operative, Kassim Tajideen, a Lebanese national who was imprisoned in the US for his role in financing Hezbollah terrorist activities around the world,” a statement from Fakhoury’s family and lawyer said on Wednesday. As a result, Fakhoury’s family sued the government of Iran in a US federal court last year.