US Puts Multi-Million Dollar Bounty on Hezbollah Leaders
The Trump Administration is playing hardball with two leaders of the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah.
The State Department announced Tuesday that it will offer $12 million for the arrest or conviction of two Hezbollah members believed to have been planning a terrorist operation in the United States.
The reward is $7 million for Talal Hamiyah, director of Hezbollah's international terrorist unit, and $5 million for a senior military commander, Fuad Shakr. The offer is the first of its kind for the US in more than 10 years.
Along with the reward, the State Department released a "wanted" poster for the two men and published a detailed chart showing Hezbollah terrorist activities in recent years.
The US has sent more than $1 billion in military aid to the Lebanese Army, but critics of that policy say Hezbollah can get access to those weapons.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned Tuesday, "The Lebanese Army has become an integral part of Hezbollah under Hezbollah command."
Tuesday's action could be a signal that the White House plans to take a tougher stand against Iran's proxies in the region.
US counter-terrorism coordinator Nathan Sales said the rewards offered by Washington are "another step to increase the pressure on them and their organization."
