The Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah and its allies swept to victory in municipal elections in the Bekaa valley region of eastern Lebanon on Sunday.
Hezbollah won a “complete victory” in the cities of Baalbek and the town of Brital, which borders Syria, according to its deputy chief, Sheikh Naim Kassem. Hezbollah competed in 80 of the 143 jurisdictions in the Bekaa valley and won nearly all the seats, while opposition parties secured seats in six of the towns in the area, Kassem added.
The long-delayed elections saw a 20 percent voter turnout in Beirut, only marginally higher than the 18 percent turnout in 2010. The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections recorded over 647 violations, including gunfire against candidates’ homes, during Sunday’s vote. There were no reported injuries.
Lebanon has been without a president since the term of Hezbollah-backed Michel Sleiman ended two years ago. The terrorist group, seeking to restore Sleiman to the post, has consistently blocked efforts to elect anyone else.
IDF deputy chief of staff Maj. Gen. Yair Golan said last month that Hezbollah poses an “unprecedented” threat to Israel, and that any future war between the two will be “devastating” because the terrorist organization had embedded its military assets among civilians.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned in February that the terrorist group is capable of launching an attack against Israel that could kill tens of thousands.
An Israeli defense official told The New York Times last May that the buildup of Hezbollah’s infrastructure in southern Lebanese villages meant that “civilians are living in a military compound” and that their lives were at risk. A few days later, a newspaper linked to Hezbollah confirmed the Israeli assessment.
Two years ago it was reported that Hezbollah exploited civilians by offering reduced price housing to Shiite families who allowed the terrorist group to hide rocket launchers in their homes.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which was passed unanimously to end the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, forbids the transfer of weaponry to Hezbollah. However, Iran has continued to arm Hezbollah and the Security Council has refused to act to enforce the resolution.
[Photo: yeowatzup / WikiCommons ]