US; Hezbollah
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US offers $10 million for info to disrupt Hezbollah finances
For the first time , Washington is offering a financial reward aimed at disrupting a terrorist group's financing as US is concerned with Shiite organization's influence in Lebanese government.
The Trump administration is offering rewards of up to $10 million each for information that disrupts the finances of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah organization.
The State and Treasury departments say the money will be paid to people who provide information such as the names of Hezbollah donors and financiers, bank records, customs receipts or evidence of real estate transactions.
Trump; Nasrallah
The payments will be made by the State Department's "Rewards for Justice" program that usually offers cash for information leading to the whereabouts of wanted terrorists. This is the first time the program has been used to target a financial network.
Since it began in 1984, Rewards for Justice has paid more than $150 million to more than 100 people who have provided information about terrorists or prevented terrorism attacks.
This is the first time that the State Department is using the program to harm the finances of a terrorist organization. Hezbollah is recognized as a terrorist organization by the US since 1997.
The announcement comes at a time that the administration is greatly concerned with the influence Hezbollah has in the Lebanese government. The Shiite organization has managed in recent years to increase its regional influence and dispatches its fighters to assist its allies throughout the Arab world.
Earlier, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah attacked the Trump administration for imposing further sanctions on Iranian oil exports. Iran is Hezbollah's main sponsor.
